Welcome to the Big Time
by DarkElements10
Summary: Being a pop star isn't easy when you're constantly being compared to other bands. New to LA, they meet a young band that's more than meets the eye. What did they ever do to deserve such misery? Can they survive secrets and the pressures of being famous?
1. Chapter 1: Big Time LA

**Welcome to the Big Time**

**Summary: ****Being a pop star isn't easy, especially when you're constantly being compared to other bands. But, the boys of Big Time Rush are determined to be the best pop group around. ****New to LA, they meet a young band that's more than meets the eye. ****What did they ever do to deserve such misery? Can they survive secrets, and the pressures of being famous?**

**By: Rhuben**

* * *

**1: **_Welcome to the Big Time_

* * *

"LA! Can you believe it? We're actually here!" 16-year-old James Diamond started dancing in his seat as the limo pulled away from the airport. He jammed his finger into the sun roof button. As soon as the window rolled out he jumped up onto the seat and stuck his head out of the top of the car. "HELLOOOOOOOO, CALIFORNIAAAAAA!"

"I can't believe this is really happening," 17-year old Carlos Garcia said happily as James slumped down in his seat, his hair windswept. He immediately took out his lucky comb and started combing his hair back to its rightful spot.

"There is no way I'm doing this without my buds," 16-year-old Kendall Knight said with a grin offering his hands for high fives. "This was too much of an opportunity to miss. And I decided to take it big time!"

"It's going to be an amazing three months though," 16-year-old Logan said with a grin. "And no school for three months too!" His grin faded slightly.

"Aw yeah!" Carlos said slapping his helmet before putting up his hand for a round of high fives.

"I don't know, I mean, Katie seemed pretty upset to just drop everything and come out here with us," Kendall said sliding down in his seat. Katie is Kendall's 12-year-old little sister.

"Your sister could be in a commercial or something, Kendall," Logan said rolling his eyes. "I predict a 90% chance of stardom for her."

Kendall scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Fat chance."

"Sorry, Logan, what'd you say?" James asked. "I was too busy daydreaming about how famous I'm going to be." Logan made a face at him, shoving his shoulder.

"Well, Katie has the cuteness factor, one that many film and tv directors go for," Logan recited. He threw his hands into the air and rolled his eyes when he saw that his friends were lying on top of each other, pretending to sleep, snoring.

"Very funny guys," Logan said in a monotone.

"Would you just stop being all genius like for five seconds and be excited?" Kendall asked with a laugh as he sat up. "We're in LA! The beach! The girls! The sun! The-"

"FAME!" James swooned, pointing at the building parking lot they were pulling up to.

James leapt across his friends' laps (causing them to groan in pain) and pretty much dove out the limo door. Kendall, Carlos, and Logan followed him, smiles erupting across their faces as soon as they felt the California sun shining down on them.

"This place is amazing," Katie gasped as she and her mom, and Gustavo Rocque, and his assistant, Kelly Wainright got out of the second limo. She shouldered her bag and gave Kendall a wide smile. "Kendall, you would've been really dumb to pass this up."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence Katie," Kendall said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Since I took the job, can I have that twenty back?"

"No," Katie replied sliding sunglasses over her face.

"You spent the money on the sunglasses didn't you?" Kendall asked, setting his jaw.

"Duh," Katie replied shaking her head.

"And she's acting like a diva already," James said with a small laugh. Katie just smiled in reply.

"Ok, I have a few meetings to go to," Gustavo announced as he pushed his way to the front of the group. "To your right is Rocque Records. To your left is the Palm Woods. Kelly will show you everything else." With that, he spun on his heels and hurried into the Rocque Records building.

"Okay then," Kelly cleared her throat and smiled at the group. "First off, welcome to Los Angeles." She got a chorus of "thank you" in reply. "Like Gustavo said, to your right is Rocque Records and to your left is the Palm Woods."

"What's the Palm Woods?" Carlos asked.

"It's the home of the future famous," Kelly replied. "Actresses, actors, musicians, dancers, they all live in the Palm Woods. Just wait until you see the pool."

"Pool?" James asked, snapping to attention. Kendall, Logan, and Carlos grabbed onto his shirt as he tried to break away from the group.

"You shouldn't have mentioned pool," Logan groaned as they tried to hold James still.

"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to relax by the pool," Kelly replied making her way towards the Palm Woods. She pulled open the front door and they all stepped into the lobby.

"Wow," Mrs. Knight gazed in awe around the lobby.

"Let me just get the key to your apartment and we can all go upstairs," Kelly said heading up to the front desk.

"I can't believe this," James said shaking with excitement. "I wonder what's the first thing we'll do as a group?"

"Photo shoot?" Logan asked, looking around. He grinned. "By the pool maybe?"

"Photo shoot with hot girls?" Carlos asked receiving high fives from his friends.

"Boys," Katie muttered rolling her eyes. The sound of an elevator 'ding' reached her ears and she turned and saw the elevator doors slide open.

A small boy with black hair, the ends with blue streaks in them, and blue eyes ran out of the elevators. He slowed to a walk and looked around the lobby lounge. At one point he got on his hands and knees and started crawling around, looking for something. He let out an "aha" of triumph and pulled a white thing out from under a couch.

The small boy smiled and hugged it tightly. Hearing the 'ding' of the elevator a second time, Katie turned towards the elevators again and saw twin black haired, blue eyed boys, walk out and look around. Katie looked back towards the small boy and saw him crouched down behind a couch. He caught Katie's eye, smiled, and put a finger to his lips. Katie gave a short nod back.

"Over there," the twin on the left said, pointing towards the couch. They exchanged triumphant grins and ran over. They skidded to a stop when the smallest boy jumped out, waving the pillow over his head. "Ah, he's got a pillow!"

"Run, run," the twin on the right shouted, turning around and racing towards the stairwell, his twin right behind him. The smallest boy ran after them laughing and yelling, "I'm gonna get you!"

"Katie!"

"Hm?" Katie blinked and saw that her mom, her brother, and her brother's friends were all following Kelly out of the lobby. "Coming!" She rushed after the group and fell in step with her mom.

"We'll just take the stairs because we really don't need to take an elevator up to the second floor," Kelly said pushing the door open to the stairwell. The walls of the stairwell had pictures of actors, actresses, and musicians from various TV networks and movies on it.

"One day that'll be us," James said with a smile as he followed Kelly up the stairs.

"We have to wait three months before we find out if Rocque Records are actually going to take you on," Kelly reminded them as she lead the way to their apartment. She stopped in front of a door with a giant letter 'J' on the front. She put the key in the lock, turned the door knob and opened the door. Flipping on the lights she said, "Welcome to your new home."

The group of six made their way into the gray apartment, making a face at the look and smell of the place. Katie pushed her sunglasses down her nose and made a face of horror.

"More like welcome to our new dump," she commented.

"Katie," Mrs. Knight said in a stern tone as she put down her bags. Logan and Carlos were already sitting on the couch. "It's not so bad. It's just different than what we're used to." They all looked up at the ceiling when the sound of footsteps started. The couch Carlos and Logan were sitting on shifted to its side, slamming into the ground.

"Yeah," Logan said with a fake smile. "It's great."

"It's different all right," Carlos added before giving a thumbs up.

"Just make yourself at home and enjoy your stay," Kelly said as she slowly backed out of the room. "Go check out the pool and the lounge. Your experience here will be great, I promise." They all watched as Kelly left the room.

"So who wants to hit the pool?" Kendall asked after a moment of silence. Before getting an answer, he ran out of the apartment.

"Oh, me!" Carlos shouted, jumping to his feet.

"Me too," James added.

"Wait up," Logan raced after his friends.

"Wait for me! I'm coming too," Katie jumped over all the abandoned bags and ran out. Mrs. Knight let out a small laugh, shaking her head.

"Kids."

* * *

"Whoa," Kedall, James, Carlos, Logan, and Katie all exclaimed in unison as they got down to the pool deck.

"Oh, smoothie stand," Katie cheered and headed over to the cart.

"Hey, check out the girls," James nudged Carlos in the side, grinning like a maniac. Goofy smiles slid across Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan's faces as three girls, two brunettes, one blond, walked past them sipping on smoothies.

"Those are the Jennifers, three actresses with the same name," a voice from behind them commented. "They won't give you the time of day unless you're an actor."

Kendall turned around, doing a double take when he didn't see someone there. He then looked down into the trashcan sitting near him and saw a red-head kid standing in it.

"I'm Tyler," he introduced himself.

"Oh, the kid from the juice box commercial," Kendall nodded.

"Why are you standing in a trashcan?" Logan asked.

"Hiding from my mom," Tyler replied with a heavy sigh. "She's pushing the whole fame thing on me. I just want to be a normal kid."

"And give up the fame?" James asked as if he was crazy. "The girls? The sun? The beach?"

"You've had a chance to live a normal life before you decided to give fame a shot, I didn't," Tyler replied with a sigh. He noticed the uneasy looks on their faces. "But, I'm sure you guys will be really successful. So what are you? Actors? Dancers? Singers?"

"Singers," Kendall replied. "We're working with Gustavo Rocque."

"Oh so _you're_ the new pop group," Tyler said with a smile. "Best of luck."

"_Tyler!_"

"Uh oh, that's my mom!" Tyler gasped, dropping down in the trashcan. Seconds later a woman with glasses and wild hair ran up to the four boys and grabbed onto Logan, shaking him.

"Have you seen my son?" she demanded. "He's the cute little red head boy who's in the juice box commercials."

"Uhhh," Logan stammered, staring at the woman in shock.

"He went that way," Kendall jumped in jerking his thumb in a random direction over his shoulder.

"Thank you," the woman breathlessly replied before rushing off. Logan exchanged wide eyed glances with each other.

"Well, that was weird," James commented.

"Thanks for that," Tyler said popping up again.

"No problem," Kendall said with a small smile.

Suddenly, a small boy with black hair and blue eyes ran by, laughing. A girl with black hair and blue eyes chased after him, a pillow in her hands. She threw it at the boy's back, missed, and the pillow hit Logan in the chest. He caught it, stumbling back a few steps.

"Logan! Look out," James shouted as he, Kendall, and Carlos reached for him.

But, it was too late.

SPLASH!

"Oh no," the girl groaned. She bit her thumbnail before racing over. "I'm sorry, I didn't see him. I was trying to get my brother."

Logan broke the surface of the water, coughing and gasping for air. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and swam over to the edge of the pool. The girl knelt down by the side of the pool and offered Logan her hand.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

"It's ok," Logan replied taking her hand, looking up into her blue eyes. She squinted at him before a shocked look crossed her features.

"Logan? Logan Mitchell?"

* * *

**A/N: ****I used the same OCs that are in our other BTR fic, Big Time Rivalry. Riley is writing that story though, just so you guys know.**

**-Rhuben**


	2. Chapter 2: Big Time Alien

**2: **_Big Time Alien_

* * *

"Does anyone wanna play a new game I made up? It's called alien."

8-year-old Sydney Jackson sauntered into the living room of his apartment, a peaceful smile on his face. His four brothers and sisters were all sitting on couches or chairs, or lying on the floor. He walked over to the oldest,16-year-old Riley Jackson, and leaned against her arm.

"Alien?" second oldest, Rhuben Jackson, Riley's twin sister, sat up from her position under the coffee table. She smacked her forehead against the edge. Squeezing her eyes shut and placing a hand over her mouth before she screamed a curse word, she scooted out from under the table and looked at him. "Did you find this game online by any chance?"

"Mhm," Sydney replied, nodding happily. "Wanna play?"

"How do you play, Syd?" Riley asked lifting him under the arms and set him down on her lap.

"Patrick, Noah, are you paying attention?" Sydney asked, turning his gaze to 13-year-old twin brothers, Patrick and Noah Jackson. The two of them were squished into a chair, reading a comic book.

"Yup," they responded in unison, setting the comic book down.

"Ok, so you have an alien," Sydney explained, his blue eyes shining. "And you have a medic, and you have humans. Your objective as the alien is to kill all the humans. The alien is chasing after the human and once they tag a human, they have to sit down. Once you're tagged you're 'killed.' A medic can revive a human but can also be killed by an alien. If you're a medic and you're killed by an alien you can't revive yourself. The objective for the humans is to kill the alien. You do this by getting a pillow that the alien hides at the beginning of each game, and you hit the alien with it." He gave his siblings a wide smile. "So, who wants to play?"

"Dad says we have to stay in the apartment while he's out," Noah said in his quiet voice.

"Dad won't be back until 7:00pm," Patrick said rolling his eyes.

"So?" Noah asked.

"And what time is it now?"

Noah glanced at his watch, "2:30."

"Exactly, I say we breakout," Patrick said getting to his feet. "I'll play, Syd, it sounds like fun."

"I'm in too," Rhuben brushed her lock of purple hair out of her eyes.

"Same here," Riley said with a smile. "Great idea, Syd."

"I don't know you guys," Noah said in a somewhat whining tone. "We're going to get in trouble, I just know it."

"Bro, have I ever gotten you in trouble?" Patrick asked putting his hands on Noah's shoulders. Noah blinked up at him.

"Yes."

"Oh," Patrick replied simply. He turned around and thumped himself on the chest. "Well, come play anyway. We need to do something to preoccupy ourselves. Noah and I will be aliens first."

"We will?" Noah asked, punching Patrick in the back. Seeing the pout on Sydney's face, Noah let out a heavy sigh and got to his feet. "Fine, I'll play. I _hate it_ when you use that pout."

"I know," Sydney grinned, his dimples appearing in his cheeks. "Ok, Ri-Ri will be the medic and Rhu-Rhu and I will be the humans." Ri-Ri and Rhu-Rhu were Sydney's nicknames for his sisters.

"Alright," Riley said as she disappeared into her bedroom. She came back out with one of her pillows and tossed it to her twin brothers. "Go and hide this somewhere. We'll wait for five minutes before we go and look for it."

"Got it," Patrick and Noah chorused before running out of the apartment.

The Jacksons all share the trait of black hair and piercing blue eyes. Riley and Rhuben and Patrick and Noah look so much a like the only way to tell them apart (besides their personalities) is because they are color coordinated. Riley has a lock of her hair dyed red and wears at least one article of clothing in red and Rhuben is the same except her color is purple. The ends of Patrick's black hair is bleached blond while Noah has the ends of his hair colored a silverish-white color. They too wear at least one article of clothing in their respective colors. Sydney is the only one that doesn't have a twin and is the only Jackson that has dimples. But he does have the ends of his hair dyed blue. Blue is his signature color as his closet is filled with blue shirts.

"What's the matter, Sydney?" Rhuben asked, seeing the uneasy look on his face.

"I know it was my idea to leave and everything," he said quietly. "But, what if dad _does_ find out we left?"

"He's _not_ going to find out," Riley kissed Sydney on top of the head before running her fingers through his hair. "Besides, if he does, Rhu and I will take the blame." Rhuben nodded in agreement.

"What's one more time?" she asked with a shrug as they filed out of their apartment. "Ok, Sydney you search the right side of the building, and we'll take left."

"Got it."

* * *

Sydney pulled a large tree branch out of his face as he hid behind a potted plant. Looking around, seeing that the hallway was clear, he somersaulted to the elevators, slapping the down arrow button. There was a faint ding and he nearly jumped out of his shoes when he saw a little kid and his mom walk out.

Letting out a breath of air and stepped into the elevator shoving his thumb into the button for the lobby. As the doors slid shut he hummed to himself, rocking on his heels. It was a quick trip to the lobby and the doors slid open revealing the lobby of the Palm Woods. He quickly glanced at a group of four boys, someone who looked like they could be someone's mom, and a little girl. He pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest, thinking.

Snapping his fingers, he ran over to the couches and chairs and got down on his hands and knees. He crawled around one of the couches, his hands sliding along the floor and a triumphant grin slid onto his face when he felt a cotton mass underneath.

"Aha," he cheered as he pulled the pillow out from under the couch. He waved it around his head before pulling it to his chest, hugging it tightly. "You're not going to know what hit you." His ear twitched when he heard the faint 'ding' of the elevator. He quickly crouched down behind the couch and giggled to himself.

He looked across the room and locked eyes with a girl. She had her brown hair up into ponytail and had a bag slung over her shoulder. He smiled at her and put a finger over his lips, motioning her to be quiet. She smiled and nodded in reply.

"Over there."

Sydney's head snapped up and he saw Patrick and Noah running over to him. He jumped to his feet and his brothers immediately stopped running, crashing into each other.

"He's got a pillow!" Noah shouted, pointing at him with a shaky finger.

"Run, run!" Patrick shrieked, pushing his brother before he turned and started running.

"I'm gonna get you," Sydney laughed running after them. He followed Patrick and Noah into the Palm Wood's stairwell. His brothers easily sped up the stairs as they had longer legs. Sydney ran as fast as he could, trying to catch up with Patrick and Noah. "No fair. Your legs are longer."

"That's not our fault," Patrick laughed as he and Noah continued running.

Sydney made a noise of anger and tried running faster. His foot caught the rise of a stair and he fell, slamming his right knee and mouth into the stairs. Sydney opened his mouth and let out a loud wail. He heard the sound of thudding feet as Patrick and Noah quickly rushed back down the stairs to reach his side.

"Oh crap," Patrick muttered, lifting Sydney to his feet. "Are you ok?"

"His mouth is bleeding," Noah grimaced when he saw the red substance. "We should go find Riles."

"That'll take too long," Patrick shook his head. "Syd, where else does it hurt."

"My-my-my-knee," Sydney wailed between gasps of air.

"Alright, calm down," Patrick said before lifting his brother into his arms. Sydney pressed his face into his brother's neck, sniffling.

"Come on, let's go back to our room," Noah suggested. "I have my key on me." Patrick nodded and the two of them quickly rushed up to their apartment on the 6th floor. Patrick set Sydney down on the coffee table before kneeling down to his height.

"Hey, stop crying," he said quietly putting his hands on Sydney's shoulders. "Ok, Little Man? You're a big boy and you've had worse than that. You're ok. Sshh."

"I got the first aid kit," Noah said coming out of the bathroom, a white container in his hands. He opened the lid and handed Patrick a bottle and bandages.

"This is going to hurt," Patrick said pouring a little bit of the liquid onto a wad of cotton. He looked Sydney in the eye, but addressed Noah. "Hold him down."

Noah sat down on the coffee table behind Noah and leaned his weight onto his back, pressing down onto his legs. In one swift movement, Patrick removed the tissue that was stopping Sydney's blood from flowing, and pressed the rubbing alcohol soaked cotton wad onto his cut knee.

Patrick and Noah squeezed their eyes shut as Sydney let out a high pitched shriek. Wordlessly, Patrick handed Noah a waded up tissue and Noah pushed it into Sydney's bleeding mouth, despite the fact that Sydney kept twisting his head back and forth.

Moments later, Sydney's sobs subsided and he was left with a red, blotchy face, and the occasional sniffs.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Noah asked. Sydney made a noise of annoyance behind the wad of tissue. "I know what will make you feel better. Let's go down to the pool and get you a banana smoothie." Sydney's eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly. "I thought that would get you."

* * *

"Thank you," Sydney said happily, kicking his feet back and forth as he happily sat on a stool, drinking his smoothie.

"No problem," Patrick said ruffling his hair. He turned to Noah and let out a sigh. "We need a bigger allowance."

"Or you could just stop spending it on smoothies every day," Noah suggested with a smirk. "_I _on the other hand know how to save money."

"Not really, because you always lend it to me whenever I ask," Patrick shot back, sticking out his tongue.

"Yeah, and you never pay me back," Noah said dryly.

"Details," Patrick waved his hand in the air. Noah couldn't help but grin.

"There they are!"

Identical confused looks crossed the twins' faces as they turned around in the direction of the noise. They saw Riley and Rhuben running as fast as they could towards the two of them, a pillow in Rhuben's hands.

"You never told them the game was stopped?" Sydney asked after spitting a mouthful of banana smoothie out.

"Thanks, Syd, all over my new shoes," Patrick groaned. "And no, we didn't tell them."

"We better run," Noah said rapidly hitting Patrick's shoulder.

"Good idea," Patrick said before taking off in a random direction.

Noah let out a noise of frustration at being ditched by his brother before taking off along the side of the pool. He ducked down under the arms of a group of boys as he shoved through them. He stopped in his tracks and turned around when he heard a giant splash.

"Ooh, that can't be good," he winced slowly making his way over to the side of the pool.

"I'm sorry," Rhuben rambled to a group of three boys that was staring into the water at the fourth boy. "I didn't see him. I was trying to get my brother." Rhuben kneeled down by the side of the pool and offered the boy her hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," he said taking her hand.

A shocked look crossed over Rhuben's face. Noah's eyebrows knitted together. '_He looks kinda familiar_' he thought, stepping closer.

"Logan?" Rhuben breathed. "Logan Mitchell?" Logan titled his head to the side, a confused look crossing his face.

"Do I know you?" he asked, climbing out of the pool.

"How do you know Logan?"

Noah turned and saw that the boy who spoke had a hockey helmet on his head. He blinked and pointed at it. "Why are you wearing-? Never mind, I don't really want to know," Noah said shaking his head as his siblings ran up behind him.

"Hey, Kendall," a girl with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail greeted one of the boys. She motioned towards Sydney. "This is Sydney Jackson and his brother Patrick, and his sister Riley."

"You're the girl from the lobby," Noah said with a nod.

"I'm Katie," the girl said with a smile and a nod.

"I'm Noah," I offered her my hand, giving a small smile. "And this is my sister, Rhuben."

"That's my brother, Kendall, and his friends Jamesl the tall one with the 'lucky white v-neck', Carlos, the one with the hockey helmet and-" Katie paused, glancing at Logan. "And the wet one is-"

"Logan?" Riley asked, placing her hands on Noah's shoulders.

"How do you know Logan?" 'Kendall' asked, turning to look at his friend. Logan looked back at him before shrugging.

"He's an old friend of ours," Riley replied. She rolled her eyes when she saw that Logan still didn't recognize her. "Maybe this will jog your memory. Landon and Bella." She motioned to herself then her sister.

"Wow," Logan blinked. Then a smile crossed his face. "I can't believe it. It's been a while. How are you?"

"Logan," 'James' nudged Logan's shoulder.

"Oh, right," Logan ran a hand through his hair. "Ok, so you guys know that I lived in Texas before moving to Minnesota. So did they. They were my next door neighbors."

"You don't sound like you're from Texas," Katie wrinkled her nose.

"Ah, we're Australian," Patrick explained. "We were all born there, and then we moved to Texas to start our singing career. And then we moved out to Los Angeles. That's just the shortened version of our story."

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Riley asked.

"They're going to be Gustavo's next pop group," Katie said, biting down on her smoothie straw.

"Gustavo?" Noah asked, his eyes widening. "You can't be serious."

"What? Is he that bad?" Logan asked.

"He was our producer for about a week," Rhuben said crossing her arms over her chest."We got tired of him saying we weren't working hard enough or doing things the way he wanted. So, we found a new record company to get signed to."

"Blazing Phoenix Records," Riley quickly supplied. "How'd you even get discovered? It's not easy for Gustavo to find his 'fire.'"

"Oh, you do that too?" Carlos asked with a wide smile. Everyone gave him a confused look. "She's like Gustavo and looking for the fire."

"Anyway," Kendall said shaking his head. "Minnesota was the last city Gustavo would go to to try and find his 'fire.' Logan, Carlos, and James auditioned. He said that James had no talent so I sang hi m the 'Giant Turd' song and he wanted me to come to LA. But, I wasn't going to do it without my friends."

"Giant turd?" Sydney repeated, making a face.

"Just wait until you hear them sing the song," Katie whispered.

"Who even knew a song like that could get us a big break like this?" James asked, an easy going smile on his face. "I mean, that never happened in my pop star dreams. They're normally filled with my being discovered by singing Stevie Wonder songs."

"So, how's your career going?" Logan asked after a pause of silence.

"It won't go much farther if they disobey me again," a voice called out.

"Hi, daddy," Sydney said with a guilty look as the Jacksons slowly turned to face a tall man with black hair and grey eyes.

"This is Katie, Kendall, Logan, Carlos, and James," Patrick said nodding in his new friends' directions.

"Hello," the man said, not even offering his hand for a handshake. "I'm their father, Robert Jackson."

"We were just going back upstairs," Noah whispered. The Jacksons quickly waved goodbye and practically sprinted back into the Palm Woods building. Robert stared after them before following them inside.

"Did anyone else get a eery vibe when he came?" Logan asked quietly. He got a chorus of 'yep' in reply. "Yeah, me too."


	3. Chapter 3: Big Time Scheme

**3: Big Time Scheme**

* * *

"Mom, what am I going to do all day long?" Katie whined to Mrs. Knight the next morning. "It's bad enough that I get dragged out here, but there's nothing for me to do while 'Mr-Boy-Band' is out with his friends all day."

"Hey, I have an idea, Katie," Kendall said with a grin, glancing up from his bowl of cereal. "Why don't you preoccupy yourself and make me scrambled eggs?"

"How about I scramble your brain?" Katie shot back, giving her brother an annoyed look. "Oh wait, I forgot, it already is scrambled."

"Kids," Mrs. Knight said in a final tone, lifting her cup of coffee to her face. "Kendall, why don't you take Katie down to the studio?"

"No!" Kendall cried, a shocked look on his face. "Mo-om. Don't make me bring her."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand the language of whining," Mrs. Knight gave Kendall a pointed look as she slowly lowered her coffee mug to the table. "Would it really be that bad if you took Katie with you?"

"Yes," Kendall declared. "I don't want to babysit her the whole time."

"Yeah, mom, I don't need a babysitter," Katie replied, jerking her thumb in her brother's direction. "Especially not by Ken-doll!"

"You're taking her and that's final," Mrs. Knight said, and then raised her voice over her kids' protests. "I'm going job hunting today anyway so she wouldn't have any fun there."

"Great," Kendall muttered, rolling his eyes. '_I can't believe I have to take Katie with me today_.'

"It won't be that bad, I promise," Mrs. Knight said with a sigh, looking at her kids. She rushed to continue when she saw the doubtful looks on her kids' faces. "Katie, you'll learn how the recording process goes and Kendall, you'll get the chance to spend time with your sister."

"Yippee," Katie said dryly, forcing a smile to her face.

* * *

"YOU'RE 5 MINUTES LATE!"

Kendall made a face and wiggled his finger in his ear to get his hearing back. "Sorry, Gustavo, I had to bring my sister, Katie, with me today."

"And we're on time," Katie said looking at her watch. "It's 9:00."

"It's 9:10," Gustavo said marching over to the clock. "See?"

"That clock still isn't fixed yet?" Kelly Wainwright asked, shaking her head as she came up behind the group, peering at the clock. She reached out her hand and slapped the side of the clock, knocking the minute hand back into place. "There we go."

Kendall and Katie exchanged amused glances. Gustavo glared at Kelly, but she was too busy looking up something on her BlackBerry. "DANCE STUDIO! NOW!"

"Is he always like that?" Katie asked as Kendall grasped her hand and rushed to the dance studio where James, Logan, and Carlos were waiting. James and Logan had bouncy balls in their hands and were taking turns bouncing them off of Carlos's helmet, seeing whose would go the farthest.

"You have no idea," Kendall replied with a sigh. "Hey guys."

"Hi, Kendall," Carlos said as James threw his ball at his helmet.

"It's about time you got here," James said as he caught the ball in his hands. "We've been waiting for hours."

"I was wondering where you guys disappeared to this morning," Kendall said with a laugh as he caught the ball that was headed back towards Logan. He tossed it into the air a few times.

"James was so excited about studio work this morning, he woke Carlos and I up by jumping on top of us as he rushed to get dressed," Logan replied, crossing her arms over his chest. He then turned to look at his tallest friend. "I swear, you were acting like a kid on Christmas morning."

"Everyday I'm here, it feels like Christmas," James said with a grin.

"How am I going to survive today?" Katie asked with a groan, running her hands over her face.

"Alright, dogs, come here," Gustavo shouted, leading a man with long dark hair over to the group of boys. "This is Mr. X. He's going to be teaching you guys how to dance. He's your choreographer while you're here."

"Mr. X?" Katie asked, raising her eyebrows. "What kind of name is that?"

"For your information, Mr. X has choreographed for Boy Quake, Beyonce, and Yo Gabba Gabba," Gustavo replied. He then peered down at Katie. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"She's my sister, Gustavo," Kendall replied. "I had to bring her today!"

"NO VISITORS DURING REHEARSAL!" Gustavo shouted.

"But, Gustavo-"

"No excuses!"

"Stop yelling, you need to keep your blood pressure down," Kelly said with a heavy sigh as she looked up from her clipboard and her phone. Gustavo grunted in reply as Kendall, James, Logan, and Carlos exchanged amused glances.

"What am I supposed to do while they're _trying_ to dance?" Katie demanded, throwing her arms in the air.

"You could hang out with us. We're free for the rest of the day."

Everybody turned and saw the Jacksons walking out of the dance studio. Patrick and Noah had towels draped around their necks while Sydney had his covering his head.

"We're just going to be hanging out by the pool and playing some games," Noah said with a shrug. "We only had dance practice this morning."

"How did you get in tomy studio?" Gustavo demanded, causing the five kids to flinch. Patrick and Noah exchanged glances as Sydney backed up behind them, making a whimpering sound.

"Our manager?" Rhuben asked, a confused look on her face.

"The mirrors in our studio fell down yesterday, so they're spending the day cleaning it up and installing more mirrors," Riley replied. "You could ask him if you want. Hey, Ronan!"

"What's going on?" a dark-haired, grey eyed, middle aged man walked out of the dance studio, turning off the lights behind him. He was dressed in a button down shirt, green tie, and jeans. "Oh, hey Gustavo. And these must be your new boys." He offered his hand to James. "I'm Ronan McGuire, the Jacksons manager and music producer."

"He also owns Blazing Phoenix Records," Rhuben added. "The record company we're working for."

"I can really hang out with you guys today?" Katie asked, her eyes widening. "Kendall, can I?"

"I'm supposed to be watching you today, Katie," Kendall reminded her.

"It'll be no problem," Riley said putting up her hands. "We're just going to be relaxing by the pool. You can always stop by during your break to check up on her."

"Thanks," Kendall smiled.

"Let's go," Sydney said leading the way out of the studio. Katie and his siblings quickly raced after him. Ronan chuckled, clapped Gustavo on the shoulder and exited.

"Ok," Gustavo shouted, getting all the attention back on him. He grabbed Kelly's phone out of her hand. "Dancing until noon, harmonies until 3:00, press work until 6:00, and harmonies until 9:00. Kelly will pick you up here and take you over to the recording studio once you're done here."

"You said harmonies twice," Logan pointed out.

"Last time I checked, _you_ beatboxed at the audition," Gustavo shoved a finger in Logan's face. Logan rapidly nodded. He then moved over to Carlos. "_You_ farted into the microphone." Carlos grinned and nodded before letting out a laugh at the memory. "_And you_ have no talent!"

"No, no, I _have_ talent," James smiled. "I can prove it to you, just listen to the whole song." He cleared his throat before letting out a deep breath of air. He started snapping his fingers. "People say, I'm the life of the party because-"

"STOP! NOW!" Gustavo put a hand up in front of James's face.

"Sorry, sir," James gave a short nod.

"_That's_ why we need to work on harmonies," Gustavo replied.

"You haven't even given them a chance," Kendall protested. "They can sing, I've heard them. Well…Logan's not as great and he wants to be a doctor but-"

"We get it," Logan cut Kendall off but slapping his hand over Kendall's mouth. "Now, onto the most important question: when do we get a break?"

"Breaks?" Gustavo asked with a chuckle. He started laughing out loud. "You don't get any breaks. Do dogs ever great breaks when they're training for those…dog competitions?"

"Well, they get treats," Carlos said with a shrug. "Ooh! Can we have a treat?"

"Yeah, and when do we get to talk to wardrobe stylists about what outfits we want to wear?" James asked. "You know how Carlos has the helmet? Well, I want my thing to be _bandanas_! I mean, they're stylish, and they help keep my hair out of my gorgeous face."

Logan blinked before jumping back to his topic. "W-we can't go for hours without something to eat or drink. We'll get dehydrated and pass out."

* * *

"I. Can't. Move," Logan groaned as he tried to pull himself up with one of the bars in the back of the dance studio.

"Do you mean physically, or were you commenting on your dancing?" James asked, breathing heavily.

"Normally, I would shoot back a smart comment, but I'm too tired," Logan muttered.

"Yeah, and I'm too tired to laugh," Carlos added.

"Alright guys, harmonies, let's go," Kelly said as she opened the door to the dance studio. She paused and looked around the room. "Where's Mr. X?"

"He left in tears," Kendall winced as he got to his feet. "And I thought a hockey check was bad."

"Come on you guys," Kelly said pulling the boys up off the floor, resulting in a circle of groans all around her.

"Ke-lly," Kendall groaned.

"Come on, you're going to be late," Kelly said pushing them out the door. She glanced at her phone as she pushed them out."You'll have a break soon, I promise."

"The pool," James said somewhat deliriously as they were led past a wall of windows. "The pool looks so great right now. Oh and look, the Jennifers are tanning."

"What?" Carlos, Kendall, and Logan pushed James aside and rushed over to the windows, slamming into it, pressing their faces up against the glass. They all let out dreamy sighs.

"The Jennifers make the pain go away," Kendall said with a smile.

"I thought that was the Pussycat Dolls," Carlos commented.

"Them too," Logan said with a nod.

"Hey!" Kelly snapped grabbing onto their arms and hauling them away from the windows, ignoring their cries of pain. "Let's go!"

"Guys, I have an idea," Kendall said under his breath. "Logan, you're a genius."

"Yes, we already know that," Logan whispered. James aimed a kick at the back of Logan's calf. Logan let out a shriek of pain, quickly turning it into a cough (much like when he was forced into tight leather pants when they were going through looks and names for their band).

"So, you're an expert on computers," Kendall continued.

"Of course," Logan agreed.

"Cool, is there any way you can go online and order us a pizza?" Carlos asked, holding his stomach as it growled.

"Yeah, I could do that," Logan said with a nod.

"Oh, make it Hawaiian," James said snapping to attention.

"Not the point I was trying to make!" Kendall hissed.

They made it to the recording studio, practically laying on top of each other as they tried to hold themselves up on their feet. Gustavo was reclined in his chair, yelling at whoever he was on the phone with. Kelly went over to him and waited for him to stop talking so she could say something to him. Kendall noticed a laptop in the room and motioned his friends around him.

"Ok, Logan, there's a chance that our schedule is on that computer," Kendall whispered. "I need you to go onto that computer, change it, and send it to Kelly. She and Gustavo would have to do whatever it says."

"How am I going to do that without them noticing?" Logan asked. "There's no way I can be in the studio and on the computer at the same time."

"And this is where Katie and the Jacksons come in," Kendall said with a grin.

"Are you sure they're going to help us?" James asked, brushing his hair out of his face.

"Katie and I may not see eye to eye on everything, but we do help each other when we need it," Kendall replied. "And Riley and Rhuben are Logan's old friends so they're bound to help out."

"How are we going to convince Gustavo to give us a break?" Carlos asked.

"Like this," Kendall said with a smile before stomping on Logan's foot.

"OW!" Logan shouted, bringing up his foot. He was so tired he barely had any balance and dropping to the floor. "Why is it always me?"

"Oh my gosh, are you ok?" Kelly asked rushing to Logan's side.

"Charlie horse," Logan groaned through clenched teeth. When Kelly turned her head, he shot Kendall a glare, setting his jaw. She turned and glared at Gustavo. "At least give them an hour to relax and to recuperate."

"Alright, alright," Gustavo said as if it killed him. James and Kendall slapped each other high five behind their backs. "An hour break, but not a minute more."

"Cool," Kendall replied before running out. Carlos slapped his helmet twice, grinned at Jelly and Gustavo and followed Kendall. James helped Logan to his feet and the two of them followed after them.

Kelly shook her head and let out a heavy sigh.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Riley said looking up at the boys of Big Time Rush as they stood around her chair. "You want me and my siblings to help you hack into Gustavo's computer, risking getting caught and having who knows what being our punishment?"

"You aren't going to do it?" Carlos asked, visibly deflating.

"No, we'll do it," Riley said up with a grin. "I was just making sure that's what you wanted us to do."

"Great," Kendall said with a grin. "You guys are awesome."

"Yeah, I doubt it," Riley said under her breath, averting her gaze. Carlos and Logan exchanged glances.

"Where are your siblings anyway?" James asked.

"They're playing Alien with Katie," Riley replied. "I got out."

"Alien?" Carlos asked, an excited look on his face. "The game with the pillows? Can I play?"

"Yes, you can," Kendall said a slow smile spreading across his face. "But, we're also going to need someone who is great at convincing people to do something."

"Just get Sydney to cry," Riley replied dryly, pulling her cell phone out of her jeans pocket. "Works every time. Either that or get-"

"OW!"Kendall shouted as a hand slapped him across the face. Camille, the Palm Woods resident actress (drama queen?) had just slapped Kendall across the face.

"Camille!" Riley shouted, grabbing her attention. Kendal rubbed his stinging cheek as the boys of Big Time Rush stared at her in shock. "Before you go all theatrical on me, we need your help."

"What's going on?" she asked. She then turned to Big Time Rush. "Hi, I'm Camille Sanders."

"I noticed," Kendall was now rotating his jaw. He offered his hand. "I'm Kendall Knight. These are my friends James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell."

"Logan is the one I was telling you about," Riley said to Camille. "He's Rhuben's and my old friend from when we moved from Texas."

"Oh, so _you're_ Logan," Camille said smiling brightly at him. "You're cuter in person."

"Thank…you?" Logan said as more of a question, a blush rising to his cheeks.

"My siblings should be here any second," Riley said looking around the pool. "Here they come now."

She started laughing when from behind a fence, she could see pillows bobbing up and down, getting closer and closer. Seconds later, Rhuben, Patrick, Noah, Sydney, and Katie entered the pool area and were at their sides.

"So, what's your plan?" Rhuben asked, lifting Sydney into her arms and balancing him on her hip.

"Ok, Gustavo has this whacked out schedule for us that has like, no breaks in it at all," Kendall explained.

"He wants us working from 9:00am to 9:00pm," James added.

"Yes, so, we're going to try and get Logan to log into his computer and change the schedule, sending it to Kelly's phone and make us all live happily ever after," Kendall replied.

"Easy, Prince Charming," Katie said holding up her hand. "Gustavo isn't dumb, he has to have some security thing on his computer. This isn't going to be easy."

"It's a good thing you're asking us to help then," Noah said in his quiet tone. A mischievous smirk was on his face. He flicked his hair out of his eyes and a mischievous glint went along with it. "We've been here so long, we know every inch of this place."

"And it also helps that we're master pranksters," Patrick added sharing a high five with Noah. "Anything that we can do to mess with people, we'd be happy to do it."

"You're going to need Sydney's help with the computer though," Riley added.

"I've pretty much been taking computers apart since I was 5," Sydney said with a pleasant smile. "And I know a lot about firewall and hacking."

"Ok, Logan and Sydney will take care of the computer work," Kendall said taking charge.

"Noah, Carlos, and Patrick will create a distraction, and get Kelly's phone away from her."

"Riley, Rhuben, and Camille will break into her phone and make sure she gets the new schedule and delete the old one."

"James, Katie, and I will make sure Kelly gets her phone back while making sure everyone is in the right place at the right time. Somehow we're going to have to be working on harmonies and doing this at the same time. But, with all of us working together, I think we can do it."

"We're in," the Jacksons said in unison.

"Count me in too," Camille said with a nod.

"I'll help on one condition," Katie said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What's that?" Kendall asked, afraid to hear the answer. Katie stared at him for a few seconds before a sweet smile crossed her face.

"We get to use walkie-talkies," she said with a grin.

"Nice!" Patrick and Noah slapped her a high five.

"Alright, let's move out!"

"Guys, seriously, this is not going to work," Logan said, biting his thumbnail.

"Lighten up, Logan," Rhuben said rolling her eyes. "You didn't use to act like this. I remember Logan when he would always take risks with Riley and me."

"After playing hockey for a while, you start to think more logically about things," Logan said with a small laugh. "Besides, taking risks with you and Riles is what made me change my mind. You guys nearly killed me."

"You had fun and you know it," Rhuben replied rolling her eyes. There was a moment of awkward silence. Sydney wiggled out of Rhuben's grasp and raced off after his departed siblings. "Why didn't you ever call?"

"The phone works both ways you know," Logan slid his hands in to his jeans pockets. "I don't remember getting a phone call from you."

"Something happened after you left Texas," Rhuben muttered. "One of our friends died. He was hit by a drunk driver."

"Oh no," Logan groaned, tilting his head back.

"Afterwards, Riley and I weren't the same," Rhuben explained. "We didn't want to do anything. We felt like anyone we were close to could die at any second. Our first thought was whether you were ok, but we didn't want to risk anything so we didn't call you."

"Yeah, we emailed each other for a while," Logan said, a reminiscent look on his face. "But, then we kind of lost touch." He then brought a smile to his face. "But, we're together again now, so let's make the best of it."

Rhuben snorted. "Oh yeah, the first thing we do is try and break into your producer's computer. What fun!" She chuckled, but quickly stopped when she saw the look on his face. "What?"

"It's not really any of my business," Logan said nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "But, don't you think that Sydney is a little too old to be carried around like you did just now? I mean, he is eight right?"

A cold, defensive look crossed her face. "You're right, it is none of your business," she muttered before walking off.

Logan let out a sigh before following her.

* * *

"Ok, harmonies, let's go!" Gustavo shouted into the microphone in front of him. Big Time Rush winced at the sudden noise through their headphones. Kendall jumped when he felt his pocket vibrate.

_Bzzz, Bzzz_

_Bzzz, Bzzz_

"What's that noise?" Gustavo demanded, looking around.

"Sorry, I farted," Carlos said with a sheepish grin. James quickly turned his laugh into a cough, waving the air in front of his face. Kendall slowly pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open with his thumb.

**Ready?**

Kendall looked up from his phone and locked eyes with his band mates. They all gave short nods. He nodded back, his thumb moving over the buttons on his phone.

**Ready, go now!**

He dropped his phone back into his pocket and gave his friends a thumbs up. Seconds later, Patrick and Noah burst into the studio, hitting each other with pillows.

"What are you doing?" Gustavo shouted, causing Big Time Rush to scream in pain and throw their headphones off their heads.

"Awesome, pillow fight!" Carlos shouted, grabbing a pillow from the corner of the studio and racing out the door, charging over to Patrick and Noah. "Thanks for putting the pillows in there, Kelly."

"U-uh, what are you doing?" Kelly shrieked as the boys whacked each other with pillows.

"Hey, Kelly," Riley, Rhuben, and Camille greeted in unison as they walked into the studio with Katie following behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Kelly asked them.

"We wanted to see how the guys were doing," Rhuben said with a shrug and a small smile.

"It's not every day my brother and his friends get to come to California to record," Katie added.

"Yes, that is true," Kelly said side stepping the boys.

"EVERYBODY OUT! NOW!" Gustavo yelled, getting to his feet and pointing towards the door.

"Take this, Patrick!" Noah shouted, pulling his pillow behind his head. Patrick and Carlos's eyes widened and they ducked just as Noah threw the pillow, hitting Gustavo in the face. "Uh oh."

"Nice shot," Patrick said sarcastically.

"You ducked!" Noah protested.

"You threw it! It's your fault!" Patrick shoved Noah.

"No, it's _your fault_!" Noah shoved him back. Carlos stepped in between the two of them, a look of horror on his face when he saw how mad Gustavo was getting.

"Guys, I think we should run," Carlos said keeping the twins' an arms length away. Patrick and Noah screamed, seeing the living look on Gustavo's face, and ran, Patrick dropping his pillow in the process. Carlos ran out after them, Gustavo chasing after him, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"What was that all about?" Kelly asked as she started to move by them. Camille grabbed Kelly's arms and spun her in a circle. "What are you doing?"

"Uh, _ow, my eye_!" Camille shouted, slapping a hand over her eye. "I think I got an eyelash stuck in it or something!"

"Ok, let me see," Kelly said setting down her clipboard and phone. Riley quietly leaned over and grabbed it, sliding it into her pocket, just as Sydney ran in tears sliding down his face.

"Kelly," he whined, tugging on her shirt.

"What's the matter, Sydney?" Kelly asked turning to him.

"Ow, my eye! My eye!" Camille shrieked.

"Kelly, I hurt my finger," Sydney said raising his hand up to her face, where blood started sliding down towards his wrist.

"How'd you do that?" Kelly asked as Sydney's lip started trembling.

"I fell, running down the stairs," he whined. "I think there's glass or something."

"Oh no," Kelly muttered. "Ok, you all stay here, and I'll go and find out what's going on. Someone get him a band=aid." She paused and looked around for her phone. "Has anyone seen my phone?"

"Did you have it when you came in?" James asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yes, I'm sure I did," Kelly replied, putting a hand to her head.

"No, I remember, you only had your clipboard," Kendall said snapping his fingers. "You probably left it somewhere else."

"In fact, we'll go help you look!" Rhuben said cheerfully as she, Riley, and Camille followed Kelly out of the studio. James and Kendall leaned out of the doorway and watched as Kelly and the girls disappeared down the hall.

"She's gone," Kendall hissed. "Go, Sydney!"

Sydney sucked the 'blood' off his finger and smiled as he licked his lips. "Mmm, strawberry syrup. Logan, grab the computer."

"Got it," Logan said with a heavy sigh and she slipped the laptop under his arm. "If we get caught, I'm saying that all of you forced me into this."

"We're not going to get caught, ok," Kendall said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, what if we do?" Logan demanded. "Do you have a plan to get out of that one, hot shot?"

"Nope," Kendall replied simply. "Because we're not going to get caught, now go!"

"Come on," Sydney said grabbing Logan's arm and rushing out of the studio. Seconds later, Gustavo barged back in, shaking with anger.

"I'll deal with them later," he growled. "Now, you two! Harmonies! Let's go!"

Katie pulled out her cell phone and sat down in one of the chairs behind Gustavo. She gave Kendall a thumbs up as he and James got ready to sing.

* * *

"Ugh, stupid password," Logan groaned, slapping his hands down onto the computer. "I've tried everything I could think of. I even tried 'dogs.'"

"Let me try something," Sydney said hovering over Logan's shoulder. He pressed few buttons on the keys, and hit ENTER. "And there ya go."

"How'd you do that?" Logan asked, his jaw dropping.

"They don't call me a genius for nothing," he said with a cheeky smile. "It was simple really. All his number one hits have the world 'girl' in it right?"

"Right," Logan nodded.

"I typed in girl all in caps because he yells so much," Sydney said with a shrug.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Logan asked with a groan.

"Because you're too worried that we're going to get caught," Sydney put his hands on his hips. "Anyway, we should hurry up with this."

"Alright, give me a minute," Logan said going into Gustavo's email. "Wow, he even yells in emails too. Look at all those caps."

"Wait, here it is!" Sydney jabbed his finger at a spot on the screen. Logan opened the attachment. He jumped when his cell phone started vibrating. He looked around as he pulled it out of his pocket, pressing a button to make it go to speaker phone.

"Hello?"

"_Get you butt back here!_"

"What is it, Katie?" Logan asked, sharing a look of fear with Sydney.

"_It's your turn for harmonies_!"

"I can't leave yet! I haven't-"

"_Now! Gustavo's ad! He could start another earthquake_!"

"Ok, I'm coming," Logan snapped his phone shut. "You're going to have to do the rest of this!"

"Ok, ok, no problem, I am a genius after all," Sydney said as Logan shoved the computer into his hands. Sydney slumped to the floor and typed away, changing the schedule and putting it in an email to Kelly. He pressed send and let out a sigh of relief. "Now, just to sneak this back."

"What do you think you're doing?"

Sydney slowly looked up and saw his dad standing over him. "Hi, daddy. Fancy meeting you here."

He closed the computer with a soft 'click' and a nervous giggle.

* * *

"Your pocket is buzzing," Camille said as she kept a look out for Kelly.

"Thanks," Riley said, pulling Kelly's phone out of her pocket. "Yes! I got the email!"

"So the plan is going perfectly then," Rhuben said punching the air with her fist.

"Just delete the old schedule and there!" Riley grinned, pressing a few buttons on her phone. "Let's get this back to the studio."

They climbed out of their hiding place, rounded a corner…

…and crashed right into Patrick, Noah, and Carlos.

"Sorry," Carlos breathed. "We're running from Gustavo."

"Who knew he could run so fast," Noah added.

"What's that on the floor?" Patrick asked, pointing downwards. The group let their eyes roam over the pieces of phone that was lying everywhere.

"NOOOOO!" Riley shouted, sinking to her knees.

"Sorry?" Carlos said with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, you better be sorry!" Riley snapped through clenched teeth. She started forward, but Camille and Rhuben grabbed onto her arms and held her back. "You're lucky you have that helmet or I'd really mess you up!"

"We're doomed," Rhuben groaned. "We can't give Kelly her phone back like that!"

Patrick picked up the phone and turned it over. It was missing several keys and the screen kept flashing it's last image over and over again. Noah bit his bottom lip before flipping it over. He grabbed onto the back and started to pull as hard as he could, his hand shaking. With a loud 'snap' the back cover came off.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!" Rhuben demanded in a high pitched shriek.

"Ugh, I'd have to say _you_ screaming is way _worse_ than Gustavo," Carlos said making a face.

"Relax, Rhu, I can fix this," Noah said glancing at Rhuben, a calm look on his face.

He clicked his tongue and started pushing at things with his fingers. He snapped the back into place and then picked up the fallen keys, putting them back together. He turned the cell phone back on and it came to life.

"Oh, thank you!" Riley kissed her brother on the forhead.

"Way to go," Camille patted him on the back.

Noah blushed in embarrassment but nodded as he handed the phone back to Riley. She then shushed everybody and moved her phone up to her ear. Seconds later, she made a face and pulled it away. They could all hear Katie screaming through the phone and saying something with Carlos's name in it.

"I think she needs you back," Patrick said slowly. "But, I'm not entirely sure." He blinked when he saw everyone give him a 'duh' look. "What?"

"Come on," Riley said grabbing Patrick by the shirt and pulled him forward. The group then ran as fast as they could back to the recording studio and nearly collided with Gustavo and the Jacksons dad. Kendall, James, Logan, and Katie were standing behind them,

"What are you doing here, dad?" Patrick asked as soon as he skidded to a stop.

"The better question is why did Sydney have Gustavo's computer and why do you have Ms. Wainwright's phone?" Robert asked in a cool tone. He had his arms crossed over his chest.

"I already _told _you, he had a virus on his computer," Sydney said stomping his foot. "I was just trying to do him a favor and clean it for him. He could have lost a lot of important files if I didn't."

"Yeah, and Kelly lost her phone," Riley said slowly, holding out the phone to her. "We were out looking for it."

"Where'd you find it?" Kelly asked.

The corner's of Riley's lips twitched as she turned and exchanged glances with Camille and Rhuben. Patrick and Noah looked around the room, rocking back and forth on their heels.

"You left it in the dance studio," he practically shouted. Kelly narrowed her eyes as she looked over the group.

Patrick and Noah started whistling and rocking faster. Riley had slapped herself in the forehead, while Camille suddenly got very interested in the posters of boy bands that was hanging on the walls. Rhuben was biting her fingernails, aware that her dad was giving her and her siblings a hard glare. Kendall, James, and Logan looked as if they were waiting for a bomb to go off (which in Gustavo's case was pretty close) and Katie had her head buried in her hands.

"I could've sworn I always had it with me," Kelly muttered.

"Don't swear," Sydney said looking up at her with his big blue eyes. "Swearing is a bad thing."

"I have a feeling something fishy is going on," Gustavo said tapping his chin. Kendall exchanged a wide-eyed look with Riley. "But, I'm too busy to figure it out now! Dogs! Harmonies! Let's go!"

"Wait! Your computer," Sydney handed Gustavo his computer. Gustavo turned around and grabbed the laptop.

"Thanks," he grunted. He turned around so fast, he hit Kelly's wrist, causing her to drop the phone to the floor where bits and pieces of the phone went shooting off in every direction. Kelly gasped, staring down at her phone in horror. "Oops."

"M-my phone," she said weakly.

"Did you say harmonies?" James asked with a laugh. "Harmonies sound great right now. Don't you think?"

"Harmonies, yay," Logan said with a fake cheer. Big Time Rush quickly moved into the recording studio.

"I'll just go hang out with them," Katie said motioning to Patrick, Noah, and Sydney. Her eyes shifted back and forth when Robert turned his gaze to her. "On second thought, I'll go and hang out with Tyler." She gave a small wave and said "I hope your punishment isn't too bad" before running off.

"Me too," Patrick whispered putting his arms around Sydney. "Me too."

"Wait for me," Camille said hurrying after Katie. Robert set his jaw and set his gaze back on his kids. Rhuben looked up at her dad before tilting her head to the side.

"Did you guys hear that?" she asked. "I think I heard Ronan calling our name. Duty calls." The Jacksons turned and got ready to run, but their father's voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Not. So. Fast." With his arms still crossed, he stood in front of his children, slowly looking them over. He noticed Kelly was still in the room and wordlessly beckoned his kids out into the hall. He lowered his voice as he glared at them. "Your actions won't go unpunished. Stealing? Are you out of your minds?"

The Jacksons stared down at the floor, refusing to look up into their dad's eyes. Sydney already had tears sliding down his cheeks. His occasional sniffs broke the silence that surrounded them.

"Go up to our apartment and wait for me there," he muttered, cracking his knuckles. "I'll be up in a few minutes. And don't expect anything to eat tonight. Do I make myself clear?" He let out a noise of frustration when he didn't get a reply. "_Do I make myself clear_?!"

"Yes, sir," Riley and Rhuben replied, looking up at their dad. Riley bit her lip, drawing blood, as her head snapped to the side as Robert slapped her.

"Get moving."

* * *

**A/N: Ok, a long chapter just for you guys. I hope you like it and I hope you like where this story is going. This was one of the better ideas for an attempt at humor I've had and I started laughing while writing this. I'm glad you guys like this story and I hope you stick around to read more. What do you think about my OCs? Am I portraying the guys well?**

**-Rhuben**


	4. Chapter 4: Big Time School

**4: **_Big Time School_

**

* * *

**

"Come on guys, Kelly said she wanted to meet us downstairs," Kendall said as he watched his friends eat breakfast the next morning. "She has something important to tell us."

"I hope it's something cool," James said putting his bowl in the sink. His eyes lit up. "Oh, maybe we're collaborating with someone like Selena Gomez or Demi Lovato!"

"Keep dreaming," Katie said dryly as she walked past them, a beach towel in her arms.

"At least have some faith in us, Katie," Kendall said rolling his eyes.

"Maybe I'll change my mind when your album goes platinum," Katie said as she slid sunglasses onto her face. "Until then, you're just four hockey players that got a lucky break."

"Let's get going, we don't want to keep Kelly waiting," Logan said getting to his feet. "Carlos, stop eating. That's your third bowl of cereal."

"Hellooo," Carlos said with massive amounts of 'duh' in his voice. "It's CoCo Puffs. You can't expect me to eat one bowl!" As he stood up, he kept hold of the bowl. Logan shook his head and the five of them left their apartment.

They rode the elevator down to the lobby of the PalmWoods and as soon as the elevator doors opened, they saw Patrick, Noah, and Sydney sitting in the lounge chairs, stuffing their faces with sugar powdered doughtnuts.

"Hey, save one for me," Katie said with a small laugh as she walked over.

"Here you go," Sydney said around a mouthful of doughnut as he picked one up off his plate and handed it to her. "They're really good."

"Are you sure you even got any in your mouth?" Patrick asked laughing at the powdered sugar around his little brother's mouth.

"Look who's talking," Noah shot back, elbowing Patrick in the side.

"You guys think you have enough?" James asked, grabbing a doughnut off of Noah's plate.

"You're allowed to take as many as you want," Noah said, slapping at Carlos's hands as he tried to take one. "We love doughnuts."

"We can tell," Logan shook his head at the three boys.

"Where are you guys headed?" Sydney asked, kicking his feet back and forth as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"The pool," Katie replied, motioning to her towel.

"Don't stay out there too long, school starts in 15 minutes," Patrick commented, licking his lips.

"Wh-come again?" Logan asked, his eyes widening.

"School," Noah replied raising his eyebrows. "As in, the place where you learn things. It starts in 15 minutes."

"You don't think that's what Kelly was going to tell us, do you?" James asked, shaking Kendall's shoulder.

"How should I know?" Kendall asked, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, that _is_ what I was going to tell you," Kelly said as she walked up to them, checking her clipboard. "You start school at the Palm Woods today."

The silence was broken as Carlos let out a cry of horror, successfully letting a mouthful of Coco Puffs and milk fall out of his mouth and onto the floor as he dropped the bowl of cereal.

"You've got to be kidding me," James said with a small laugh. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not kidding," Kelly said shaking her head. "Anyone under the age of 18 has to go to school for 4 hours a day. Come on, I'll drop you off at the classroom, then I'll pick you up once school is over and then we'll go over to Rocque Records."

Katie laughed, shaking her head. "Have fun in school, losers," she grinned. "While you're stuck in a classroom, I'll be sitting outside with Tyler and these guys, hanging out."

"Actually, we have school too," Noah said getting to his feet, wiping his dirty hands on his jeans. "And so does Tyler. But, he goes to the Palm Woods for class."

"We're homeschooled," Patrick explained. "As long as you have a career in music, acting, dancing, or in commercials or anything, you have to go to school."

"Are you saying that I have to spend four hours by myself?" Katie demanded. Patrick and Noah exchanged glances.

"Uh, yeah," Patrick replied slowly. "But, as soon as school is over, we can hang out. We don't have to do anything until later in the afternoon."

"Please don't be mad," Sydney added, widening his blue eyes. Katie let out a small laugh.

"Why can't we have their producer?" Carlos whined, jerking his thumb in Patrick, Noah, and Sydney's direction. "They get more breaks than we do."

"Yeah, but you don't know how hard we work," Patrick muttered to his brothers.

"I know that's right," Noah said rolling his eyes.

"Bye, Katie," Sydney said waving to her as she headed out of the lobby. His eyes widened even more (if possible) and he started to tug on his brothers' shirts. "It's dad!" Patrick and Noah whirled around to see where Sydney was looking and their eyes widened.

"Uh, we'll see you guys later," Patrick said giving Big Time Rush a brief smile.

"Sorry to leave so quickly, we've got stuff to do," Noah added before the three of them rushed into the stair well. They could hear the sound of their hurried footsteps on the metal stairs before the stairwell door shut.

"Good morning, Mr. Jackson," Kelly said with a smile as the Jacksons' father walked into the Palm Woods.

"Morning," he said stiffly, briefly glancing at Big Time Rush as he got into the elevator.

"I don't think he's a morning person," Carlos said in a stage whisper.

"What gave you that idea?" Logan asked sarcastically.

"Come on boys, before you're late," Kelly said turning on her heels and heading down a hall. The boys groaned, following her to their classroom.

* * *

Riley jumped when she heard a series of sharp bangs on the door to her apartment.

"It's about time," she shouted as she walked over to the door. She opened it and her brothers nearly fell to the floor in their rush to get inside. "I'm starving. Did you get something?"

"Doughtnuts. Here," Noah wheezed holding out the plate that was in his hands.

"Why do I get the feeling you're holding out on me?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow when she saw the two doughnuts that was sitting on the table.

"Have you ever had a sugar powdered doughnut?" Patrick asked, leaning against the door. "Besides, we had to eat them quickly before dad came back."

"So why did you run up here as if a Rottweiler was chasing you?" Rhuben asked as she came out of her bedroom, brushing her hair.

"Dad's coming," Sydney gasped. "If he sees us with these doughnuts, he's going to be even madder than he was yesterday!"

"Quick, hide these," Riley said shoving the plate back into Noah's hands. "And get your things so it looks like we're ready for school."

"Got it," Patrick said with a nod as the three of them raced off to their respective bedrooms.

"Man, I'm starving," Rhuben commented as she dropped into her seat at the kitchen table. She lifted her backpack up off the floor and set it down on the table, unzipping it, and dumping her books out.

"Yeah, me too," Riley agreed. "But, we have to feed the boys before we feed ourselves. At least they found something to eat."

"Mhm," Rhuben nodded as the door swung open and their father walked in. He slammed the door shut behind him.

"We're ready for school, daddy," Riley said dropping into the chair opposite from Rhuben.

"Where are your brothers?" Robert asked, glancing at his daughters.

"Right here," Patrick shot out of his room and jumped into his chair, Noah, and Sydney following shortly after. "Sorry. We can start."

Robert let out a sigh as he sat down at the head of the table. He stared at his siblings in turn before grabbing Riley's math book and flipping it open. "Where were your brothers this morning, Riley?" he asked as he slowly flipped through the pages.

"They were up here like you wanted," Riley replied as she pulled her notebook out of her backpack. "We were right here the whole time."

"I told you guys that you aren't allowed to eat anything as your punishment for stealing that stuff," Robert said suddenly slapping the book down on the table, causing his kids to jump. Riley opened her mouth to object but Robert beat her too it. "Don't' lie to me! If they didn't eat, then why does he have powdered sugar on his face?"

Sydney dropped his gaze to the table and quietly wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "Sorry, daddy," he whispered, tears coming to his eyes. "I was hungry and I-"

"I convinced them to go downstairs and get something to eat," Rhuben interrupted, glancing at Sydney out of the corner of her eye. He gave her a small, sad, smile. "It's not their fault, it's mine."

"Stay here once school is over," Robert growled, glaring at her with his cold grey eyes. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," Rhuben said with a nod, opening her math book. She gave Sydney a wink and a smile. Sydney wiped his eyes and grabbed his math book.

"And your rehearsal with Ronan has been cancelled for today," Robert added. "He has an important business meeting with a man named Mr. Griffin this afternoon."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Palm Woods, the boys of Big Time Rush were trying to pay attention to the lesson. Well, Logan was the only one who was actually paying attention, taking notes, and answering questions. Carlos was staring off into space, occasionally licking his lips. He was most likely dreaming about pie. Kendall was drawing in his notebook; a picture of him and his friends cornering a cowering Gustavo as they got ready to shoot hockey pucks at him. James was busy trying to get the Jennifer's attention and failing at doing so.

"So, do you lovely ladies want to hang out with us tonight?" James whispered, keeping one eye on the teacher in case she suddenly called on him.

"Maybe if you were a Jonas Brother," Jennifer #2 said, brushing her blond hair over her shoulder, whipping James in the face. "Or once you become as big as them."

"Smooth," Kendall said with a laugh as James leaned back in his chair. James debated on a comeback but opted to stick his tongue out at his friend. "Totally mature."

"Oh, shut it," James muttered. He jumped in his seat when their teacher, Ms. Collins, called on him.

"James, do you know the answer?" she asked.

"I-uh, well, I'd be happy to answer the question, Ms. Collins, but I'm pretty sure Logan had his hand up first," James said elbowing his friend in the side.

"Yes, Logan?" Ms. Collins asked, turning to him.

"Positive 6, and negative 3," Logan said with a smile.

"Correct, great job, Logan," Ms. Collins said with a smile and a nod. "You really understand this."

"I love Algebra," Logan said with a shrug and a smile.

"Loser," one of the kids near the front of the room coughed, causing the rest of the class to titter and turned to smirk at Logan.

"Don't worry, Logy," Kendall said pouting at his friend. "We still love you for being a genius."

"Ha, you're so funny," Logan replied, rolling his eyes.

"I'm hungry," Carlos announced turning to the front of the room. "When do we get to eat?"

"Carlos, were you paying attention at all?" Ms. Collins asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uhhhh," Carlos looked towards his friends for backup. Seeing that they weren't going to help him, he gave Ms. Collins a pleasant smile. "Sorry, Ms. Collins, but no, I wasn't. I was blinded by your beauty to pay attention."

"Suck up," Kendall hissed.

"Thank you for that compliment," Ms. Collins said clasping her hands together. "Be sure to pay attention more, Mr. Garcia." A loud bell rang and everyone got to their feet and started gathering their things. "For homework, read section 2 and do the guided help problems."

"Finally, we're free," James groaned as he slid his books into his backpack. "That was the longest four hours of my life."

"I thought the longest four hours of your life was when you hid from your doctor because he was trying to give you the chicken pox shot," Carlos commented, following his friends out of the room.

"No, I was entertained the whole time," James said waving his hand in the air. "They had that box of toys that kids play with. I just made a Lego city."

"Hey guys, didn't you just love class today?" Camille asked with a bright smile as she fell into step with the boys.

"I thought it was great," Logan said with a smile. His smile faded slightly when Camille gave a sigh, and a dreamy smile.

"Logan, you're sooo smart," she said, swinging her books from side to side.

"Thanks," Logan replied slowly, exchanging glances with his friends.

"Hey, you didn't slap me," Kendall pointed out. "You don't have an audition for anything?"

"Not for a few weeks," Camille said with a shrug. "What do you guys want to do now?"

"Actually, Camille, we have work today," Logan said with nervous laugh as he started to back away from her. "You know Gustavo, always wanting us to be the best we could be. Sorry we can't hang out, but we'll see you later. Right guys?"

"Bye Camille," Kendall, James, and Carlos chorused before hurrying after their friend.

"Bye guys," she said with a bright smile and headed off in the opposite direction.

"Whew, that was a close one," Logan said letting out a heavy sigh as he shouldered his backpack. "Why would she like a guy like me?"

"I saw her notebook during English when we had to proof read each other's poems," Kendall explained. "Apparently she thinks you're hot."

Logan's upper lip curled as Carlos slapped him on the back.

"You know, I've been wondering that too," James said tapping his chin. "I mean, your hair isn't as great as mine and your face isn't either. So why is she attracted to you and not me?"

"Thanks for shooting down my self-esteem, James," Logan said glancing at his friend and shaking his head. "You're a great friend."

"I know," James said with a grin.

"There you guys are," Kelly said marching over to the group. "Gustavo is in a meeting with Griffin so you won't be rehearsing for a while. You have free time until 2:00."

"Yes!" Carlos cheered, punching the air with his fists. "Now, who wants to go and get something to eat? I'm in the mood of pie, maybe cake!"

"I just want to go and hang out by the pool and relax," Kendall said as the Jennifers brushed past them on their way to the pool deck. James started to follow the three girls but Logan grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back.

"Guys, aren't you forgetting something?" Logan asked, spinning James around.

"What?" James whined as he watched the Jennifers step outside. "The Jennifers will be tanning soon."

"We have homework," Logan said as if it was obvious. "That's, you know, due firs thing tomorrow morning."

"Logan, you're so funny," Kendall laughed as he brushed by his friend. "You're such a kidder. Homework, psssh."

"I'm not doing it for you," Logan said at Kendall's back.

"Oh, come on!" Kendall stomped his foot. Logan crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine! But, I'm doing my homework outside."

"I'll see you guys later, then," Kelly said with an amused look on her face.

"Bye, Kelly," the boys waved as she headed off.

They all headed outside to one of the tables and got out their books.

"How was school?" Katie asked as she walked up to them.

"School-ish," James groaned.

"How'd you spend your time out here?" Kendall asked, turning in his chair to face his sister.

"You'd be amazed how much people will pay to stand behind a stupid velvet rope," Katie said pulling a wad of money out of her pants pockets. "VIP section, as if! I love this town!"

"Hey guys," Riley greeted them as she and Rhuben walked up to the group. She then turned to Katie. "Patrick wanted me to tell you that he, Noah, and Sydney are getting smoothies."

"Awesome, thanks," Katie said before rushing off.

"So, how was your first day of school?" Rhuben asked as she pulled up a chair and scooted in between James and Kendall. Riley sat down on the arm of the chair.

"Let me put it this way," Carlos said placing his hands on the table. "It wasn't on my list of things that I'd miss when I left Minnesota."

"Understandable," Riley said. She sighed. "At least you're not homeschooled like us. You guys get the whole social aspect. Four hours with my siblings would drive anyone crazy."

"Thanks." Rhuben said sarcastically, shoving her sister.

"You know what I mean," Riley said with a smirk, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, how'd you get that bruise?" Logan asked, pointing at Rhuben's forearm. Rhuben immediately pulled down the sleeve to her shirt.

"Never play cops and robbers with my brothers," Rhuben replied with a small smile. "They tie the ropes around your wrists too tight." She cleared her throat, and averted her gaze when she saw the uneasy look on Logan's face. "It's nothing, don't worry."


	5. Chapter 5: Big Time Commercial

**5: **_Big Time Commercial_

* * *

"What are you doing up so early?" Riley asked the next morning she headed into the kitchen. Sydney was already dressed and was sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"I have that commercial today, remember?" Sydney said turning his blue eyes to his older sister. "You know, the CBT RCM Global Net Sanyoid commercial."

"Oh yeah I forgot," Riley said sarcastically as she turned to face him. "Today you get to spend the day with Ronan playing with really cool stuff while we're stuck here at the Palm Woods." Sydney shrugged before a cheeky smile crossed his face.

"You guys turned down my offer of coming with me, it's your own fault," he said in a sing-song voice.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't rub it in, Little Man," Riley said using her nickname for him as she sat down beside him.

She grabbed the remote from him, ignoring his 'hey' of protest, and changed the channel to Nickelodeon where a Rugrats marathon was currently playing. Sydney climbed onto Riley's lap and rested his head on her shoulder. Riley wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on top of his head.

"Riles?" Sydney asked quietly.

"Hmm?" Riley kept her eyes on the TV. She turned her gaze from the TV when he didn't say anything. "What Syd?"

"You know that saying, 'If you know someone who is being abused and you look the other way, you are just as bad as the abuser yourself?'" Sydney asked slowly, as if he was choosing his words closely.

"Yeah," Riley nodded.

"Well, are we abusing ourselves? Because, we don't ever try and get help," Sydney whispered.

Riley let out a heavy sigh. "You know why we can't." Sydney gazed up at her, waiting for her to explain. "It's because he'll kill us if we do. We have no choice."

"We don't know that for sure," Sydney started messing with the ring on Riley's left hand.

"While that may be true, I don't want to risk losing you guys," Riley said leaning her head back. "If we do tell, they'll put us into foster care, and we might be split up there."

"Well, you and Rhu-Rhu don't have to take the pain for us anymore," Sydney said crossing his arms over his chest. "We can take it."

"Don't worry about us," Riley said brushing Sydney's hair out of his face. "It's our job to protect you. Ok?"

"Ok," Sydney said giving her a small kiss on the cheek and a smile. "I love you, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Riley smiled. "I love you, too."

"So, what are you guys going to do without me here for a day?" Sydney asked. "Honestly, I don't think you'll have enough fun because _I _always come up with the great ideas."

"I think we're going to have a party," Riley said with a smirk.

"That's mean! You better not," Sydney whined as he got off of Riley's lap and stood before her, putting his hands on his hips.

"Better not what?" Rhuben asked as she walked out of her room.

"You better not have a part while I'm gone," Sydney said stomping her foot.

"Riles, you told him? It was supposed to be a secret," Rhuben said shooting Riley an annoyed look.

"Sorry, sis, just slipped out," Riley laughed.

"Geeze Riles, way to spoil everything," Patrick commented, furiously running his fingers through his hair. Lately he was obsessed with spiking his hair in a Sonic the Hedgehog-esque way.

"And I thought we had big mouths," Noah said in his quiet tone, although he had a grin on his face. He had a brush and comb in his hands.

"You're _not funny_," Sydney stomped his foot and his siblings all started to laugh."Stop laughing at me!"

He grabbed a couch pillow and threw it at Patrick and Noah who were laughing the hardest. Noah quickly ducked and the pillow smacked Patrick in the face. He immediately dropped to the ground, causing Riley and Rhuben to start laughing harder. They stopped suddenly when Patrick let out a horrified gasp.

"My hair!" He cried jumping his feet and racing over to the mirror off to the side of the living room. He started to finger comb his hair again, "Noah! Quick!"

Noah rolled his eyes but quickly rushed over to his brother, handing him the brush. The two of them quietly brushed and combed Patrick's hair until it was the way he wanted it.

"There, perfect," Patrick said with a grin. Noah was giving him a wary stare. "What?"

"You know we look the same, right?" Noah asked as he looked into the mirror. He opted for his hair to fall into his face.

"One of us have to look better than the other," Patrick said with a shrug and an impish grin. Noah stuck his tongue out at him and punched him on the arm. Noah saw the look on his brother's face and immediately started running. Patrick raced after him, grabbing the abandoned pillow.

"Guys, knock it off, you'll wake up dad," Riley snapped at her brothers. "He was out drinking again last night. You won't be happy if he wakes up with a hangover."

"Rhu-Rhu, you won't have a party will you?" Sydney asked refusing to drop the subject as he ran over to his sister and tugged on her shirt.

"No, of course not," Rhuben reassured him as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Good," Sydney said with a wide smile.

"You jerk, that hurt!" Patrick snapped.

"It was supposed to, _idiot_," Noah said with a laugh, turning to face him. Patrick surged forward, just as Riley shot out her foot to trip him. Patrick let out a scream of surprise and dropped to the floor, the pillow flying out of his hands and across the room…

….hitting Robert square in the face.

"Uh oh," Sydney said quietly.

Noah rushed over to his brother and helped him to his feet. Riley and Rhuben instinctively grouped their brothers together, standing in front of them, acting as human shields.

"What the hell is this?" Robert asked, a hand over his face, lifting the pillow with the other. "Is it so hard to ask for peace and quiet in the morning? God, I hate kids."

He dropped the hand that was covering his face and glared at his kids. His grip tightened on the pillow as his glare lingered on his kids. Moving quickly, he swung the pillow, hitting Riley and Rhuben in the stomach, knocking the five of them over.

"Quit lying around," Robert snapped, stumbling over to the kitchen. "Someone make me some coffee. That and making me money are pretty much the only reason why I keep you worthless brats around."

"Yes, sir," Riley muttered with a sigh as she slowly got to her feet. She crossed the room to the kitchen and filled the pot with hot water. Rhuben was looking her brothers over for any bruises.

"They're ok," Rhuben whispered to Riley as she joined her sister in the kitchen. They all looked up when they heard a knock on the door. "That must be Ronan. He's getting suspicious you know."

"Isn't everybody?" Riley asked scratching her forehead. "Just act natural."

"Morning guys," Ronan McGuire greeted the group as Patrick and Noah opened the door for him. "Sydney, are you ready to go?"

"Mhm," Sydney said with a nod, grabbing his coat. "I'm ready."

"We should be back by 3 or 4 to hit the recording studio," Ronan said clapping Robert on the back. Getting a grunt in reply, he chuckled. "Long night?"

"You don't know the half of it," Patrick muttered. "When's our next concert again?"

"Next week at the beach festival," Ronan replied. "But, you have a music video shoot at the end of this week for your single, Fireflies."

"We'll be waiting for you at your office once you get back," Noah suggested. "That way you won't have to take more time looking for us."

"Knowing you guys, you'd probably be at the pool all day," Ronan said with a laugh. "I don't blame you though. I just wish I had more time to do that."

"Sorry, we must be taking up too much of your time," Sydney said staring at his feet.

"Nonsense," Ronan waved his hand in the air. "Let's get going. I'll see you guys later."

As soon as the apartment door closed, Riley set the cup of coffee on the table by her dad's arm. She let out an irritated sigh when she figured out he was asleep.

"Anyone else wanna hit the pool?" RHuben asked, clicking her tongue.

"Where else would we go?" Patrick asked with a smirk. "I'll get our towels, Noah."

"I got the sunscreen," Noah announced as he headed into the bathroom.

"Room key and cell phone," Riley held up the two items before slipping them into her pocket. "What else do we need?"

"Money," Rhuben replied before tup-toeing into Robert's room. She came out seconds later, stuffing bills into her shorts pockets. Seeing the look on her sister's face, she allowed a smirk to her face. "We make him more money than this every time we perform, make a music video, and a photo shoot, I don't think he'll miss it."

"Let's go before he wakes up and decides to through the coffee on us," Patrick muttered stepping out the front door.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Noah said with a sigh as he and Riley and Rhuben followed them out of the apartment. Riley closed the door behind them and they made their way down to the pool.

"Hey, Camille," Riley and Rhuben greeted her as they sat down on beach chairs on either side of her.

"Hey," Camille smiled. "Normally you're down here before me. What took you guys?"

"We had to make sure Sydney was ready for his commercial today," Riley replied, laying back in her chair. Patrick and Noah immediately jumped into the pool.

"Where are the guys?" Camille asked. "You're normally with them."

"Don't you mean, where's Logan?" Rhuben asked, smirking at her friend. Camille laughed and nodded. "Still in their apartment I guess. Or working with Gustavo."

"He's such a hard worker," Camille sighed, leaning back. "Do you think we'd make a cute couple?"

"The cutest," Riley agreed, putting sunglasses on her face so Camille couldn't see her rolling her eyes.

"And there's nothing going on between you guys?" Camille asked just to be sure.

"NO!" Riley and Rhuben shouted.

"Just checking."

"Camille, we're just best friends," Rhuben reassured her. "And we haven't seen each other for years at that. If there was something going on, which thankfully there's not, it'd be too weird. Chase him all you want."

"Yeah, we give you our permission," Riley laughed.

"Good," Camille smiled. "He will be mine!"

* * *

"Wait, Ronan, can I bring a friend me?" Sydney asked as he and Ronan rode the elevator down to the lobby of the Palm Woods.

"I don't see why not," Ronan replied with an easy going smile. Sydney grinned and jabbed his thumb into the '2' button. The elevator stopped on the second floor and the doors slid open. Sydney stepped out of the elevator and looked up and down the hall before starting to his right.

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G," Sydney sang to himself as he headed down the hall. "H…I…J!" He reached out his small hand and knocked on the door. He hummed to himself as he waited for the door to open. Kendall swung the door open and looked around. "I'm down here, Kendall."

"Oh, sorry," Kendall laughed a little bit. "What's up?"

"Is Katie here?" Sydney asked. Seconds later, Katie appeared at the door. "Hey, do you want to come with me to the commercial I'm shooting today? I know you're bored whenever we have school so I thought you'd like to come with me."

"That sounds like fun," Katie said with a nod and a smile.

"Hi, I'm Sydney's manager, Ronan McGuire," Ronan offered his hand and Katie clasped it in a tight grasp and shook it. "Sydney and his siblings have done well in many commercials, I think I could put in a good word for you and get you a spot."

"I'm listening," Katie said crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll tell mom where you're going," Kendall said heading back into the apartment. "Come inside."

"Whoa!" Sydney's jaw dropped. "You have a swirly slide in here?"

"And an arcade game," Katie nodded towards the corner of the room.

"That's not fair," Sydney whined, although he had a smile on his face. "I wish I had a swirly slide in _my _apartment. When'd you do this?"

"You'd be surprised," Katie said dryly. "We had Camille and the Jennifers help out." As they waited for Kendall to return, she explained everything that happened to Sydney and Ronan.

"Well, that explains why Camille needed to borrow Noah's lab goggles and all the ketchup in the Palm Woods lunch bar was missing," Sydney said tapping his chin.

"And why the Palm Woods was so noisy," Ronan added.

"Yep, and they wouldn't have all of this if it wasn't for me," Katie said with a proud smile as Mrs. Knight appeared behind her.

"Hi, I'm Katie's mom," Mrs. Knight said shaking Ronan's hand.

"Hi, I'm Ronan McGuire, the Jackson's manager and music producer," Ronan said shaking her hand then putting his hands on Sydney's shoulders."Sydney is shooting a commercial today and we'd like her to join us to see how a commercial is shot. She may even get a part in it if we're lucky."

"What's the commercial about?" Mrs. Knight asked.

"Basically, I'm just playing around with RCM CBT Globalnet Sanyoid Products," Sydney said with a shrug.

"Mom, if I get this then I can go to school at the Palm Woods with everybody," Katie said turning to her mom. "Then I won't be so bored all of the time."

"…Alright, have a good time," Mrs. Knight said with a smile.

"Yes," Katie cheered.

"We should be back around 1:30, 2:00 at the latest," Ronan said with a smile. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too," Mrs. Knight said with a smile. They shook hands again as Sydney and Katie started down the hall, talking excitedly. Ronan held her gaze a little longer before rushing after the two kids, giving her a small wave.

"Alright you two, let's get going," Ronan said pulling his car keys out of his pocket and spinning it around his finger.

They rode down to the Palm Woods lobby, and Sydney hesitated when he saw Patrick and Noah taking turns doing flips into the pool and his sisters talking and laughing with Camille.

"Are you ok?" Ronan gently asked.

"Yeah," Sydney said turning away from the pool. "I've only been away from them a handful of times. I get this weird feeling when I'm not with them."

"You're probably just suffering from separation anxiety," Ronan said gently guiding him out the door. Sydney just looked up at him. "Separation anxiety is-"

"Is a psychological condition in which an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding separation from home or from people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment," Sydney interrupted, his eyebrows furrowing together. "You know, like a father or a mother."

Katie blinked and stared at him with wide eyes. Sydney gave her a gentle smile and shrugged. "You should also know that I'm really smart for my age."

"How smart?" she asked.

"Smart enough to know what every knob on a soundboard does and sometimes works it himself," Ronan said as they walked into the parking lot towards his car.

"You have a Convertible?" Katie asked. "You must be loaded."

"I have a few nice things," Ronan said scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. He pressed the 'UNLOCK' button on the car lock. "Get in."

Sydney and Katie exchanged large grins before jumping into the back seat.

"Any musical requests?" Ronan asked as they backed out of the parking lot.

"Anything loud so that we can scream it at the top of our lungs and show off this nice car would be perfect," Katie said with a sweet smile. Ronan chuckled as he turned on the radio. Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone was the first song that filled the car. "That's more like it."

"On the way back could we stop at In-N-Out and get something to eat?" Sydney asked over the roar of the wind.

"What's In-N-Out?" Katie asked, wrinkling her nose.

"In-N-Out has the best burgers in the world," Ronan said glancing at her in the rear view mirror. "And their shakes are great too."

"I'm loving this town," Katie grinned putting her arms behind her head.

30 minutes later, they were walking into the building where the commercial was going to be shot. Ronan was talking to the receptionist while Sydney and Katie ran in circles around the giant globe that was painted on the floor.

"Just head straight back," the receptionist said as she handed Ronan three passes.

"Thank you," Ronan smiled as he put one of the passes around his neck. "Come here, guys." He handed Katie and Sydney their passes and lead them towards the back of the building. They went down a hall and passed room after room where the back walls was lined with windows. They could see a pool in the back. "Ah, here we go." Ronan pumped the handle of the last door in the hall and pushed it open.

"Whoa," Katie and Sydney gasped as they looked around the room.

This room also had a swirly slide in it. It also had a pool table, a foosball table, a trampoline was sitting in the corner, on one side of the room were gaming systems, and bubble chairs were hanging from the ceiling. There was a juice bar in the far left corner and a flat screen HD tv and many couches. There was also a computer area too. On the other side of the room was a group of people and lots of cameras.

"You guys wait here while I go talk to the director." Ronan said patting Sydney on the shoulder.

"That's the director, Mr. Sullivan," Sydney pointed out to Katie. "And that's his best boy Mr. Anderson."

"Best boy?" Katie raised her eyebrows. "Doesn't he have to work in a church during weddings?"

"No, that's the best man," Sydney laughed. "The best boy is the assistant to their department heads. For example, you can be a best boy electric, which means you're the assistant to the lighting group."

"Yeah, I think I'd be happier on camera than behind it," Katie said raising her eyebrows. "Who's that lady?"

"Uh," Sydney looked to where she was pointing. "That's the make-up lady and she's the client's personal assistant so whatever you want, she could get you. Her name's Lucy. And next to her is the wardrobe stylist, Angie."

"Say I wanted a tub of gummy bears with all the green ones picked out," Katie said slowly.

"She could get it for you, but I don't know why you'd want the green ones picked out," Sydney said putting his hands on his hips. "You can just give them to me."

"I see you've worked with them before?" Katie asked.

"Ronan tries to get the same people to work on each commercial me and my siblings are in so we don't have to worry about the working styles of other people," Sydney explained as Ronan walked back up to them.

"Congrats, Katie, I got you a spot," Ronan said with a smile. "Mr. Sullivan thought it would be better to shoot this commercial with two kids instead of one. Plus, he thinks you're pretty cute."

"I get that a lot," Katie said with a grin.

"Ok, so if you could go with Angie, she'll get you sorted out with your outfits," Ronan said clasping his hands together. "And if you look out that back door you see that on the patio there's a slide that goes down to the pool."

"And we get to play with all of this?" Katie asked her eyes shining. "Including the pool?"

"Mhm," Ronan nodded and Sydney let out a cheer, punching the air with his small fists. "Hurry and get changed, we'll be starting in 20 minutes."

"Hi, Angie," Sydney said bouncing over to the red haired girl.

"Hi," Angie smiled. "And who is this?"

"This is my friend, Katie," Sydney replied as he walked over to a rack of clothes. "She'll be doing the commercial with me."

"Lucky for you, I brought a rack of girls clothes with me just in case," Angie said lighting a cigarette. "This commercial was a duo at first, then the other girl decided not to take it. But, I'm glad you're here."

"Thanks," Katie grinned as she rushed over to the rack of clothes that Angie was pointing too.

"Sydney, I already have your outfit picked out," Angie said pulling the cigarette out of her mouth.

She grabbed Sydney's arm and pulled him over to a dresser. Sydney made a whimpering sound when he felt the heat of the cigarette on his arm. He pulled his arm out of her grasp, rubbing at the warm spot. He stared down at his feet when she turned to look at him.

"I'm scared of fire," he muttered, giving her an uneasy glance.

"Sorry, toots," Angie said quickly putting out her cigarette. "Now, change into this."

"Ok," Sydney gave her a small smile before pulling off his shirt.

"How'd you get that?" Katie asked. She was standing in front of a mirror, holding a pink shirt up to her chest when she noticed a bruise on Sydney's hip.

"I got that this morning," Sydney said lightly running his hand over it. "I was having a pillow fight with my brothers and Patrick tripped me. I got this scar playing with them too." He pointed to a spot on his shoulder blade.

"Oh," Katie muttered, turning around to face him.

"Yeah, we rough house a lot," Sydney said as he pulled the other shirt down over his head.

* * *

"Hey, I'm back," Katie greeted as she entered her apartment. Her mom, Kendall, James, Logan, and Carlos were all sitting in the living room watching TV. "Guess what? I got a part in the commercial!"

"You also got a milkshake," Carlos pouted. "Why didn't you get one for me?"

"Here, you can have the rest," Katie said handing it to him. Carlos grinned in happiness as he brought the straw to his lips.

"That's great honey," Mrs. Knight said getting up to give Katie a hug.

"Now, I can get into the Palm Woods school and not be bored all morning," Katie said with a smile.

"Wait a minute, you _want_ to go to school?" Kendall asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's better than beating out the workers in poker," Katie shrugged. "Actually, winning the money isn't that bad. But, the more you play it, the less money they have."

"How'd you get a part?" James asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Sydney's manager got it for me," Katie replied. "He even offered to be my manager so I can be in more stuff. Isn't that great?"

"Way to go," Kendall said slapping Katie a high five.

"This calls for a celebration," Mrs. Knight said getting to her feet. "Who wants something to eat?"

"Oh, could we have pizza?" Logan asked, turning around to face her.

"Pizza it is," Mrs. Knight said grabbing a brochure off the coffee table and heading into her room.

"How'd the commercial go?" Kendall asked sitting back down on the couch. "What'd you do?"

"it was a RCm CBT Global Net Sanyoid commercial," Katie explained, taking off her shoes. "Basically, all they wanted us to do was to play with the stuff. They even have a swirly slide going down to a pool."

"No way!" Carlos shouted. "I wish I was in that commercial."

"Carlos, we _have_ a swirly slide," James said jerking this thumb to the corner of the room.

"Yeah, but it doesn't go to a pool," Carlos said rolling his eyes.

"Sydney is really smart too," Katie added. "Ask him anything camera or computer software related and he can easily explain to you how everything works. But, he seemed kind of off."

"Like how?" Logan asked.

"Well, he kind of freaked out whenever someone got a cigarette near him," Katie said rubbing the back of her neck. "And he has so many scars and bruises." She noticed Logan's eyes narrow slightly.

"He's an 8 year old kid, Katie," Kendall said crossing his arms over his chest. "And a boy at that. When I was 8 I nearly broke my arms and legs on multiple occasions. Not to mention, I've had stitches many times."

"Yeah, but I doubt Sydney plays hockey to obtain all those injuries," Katie shot back. "I don't know, it's just kinda weird."


	6. Chapter 6: Big Time Music Video

**6: **_Big Time Music Video_

* * *

A week later, Big Time Rush have solidified their dancing for their first song 'Big Time Rush'. They're also in the works of a few new songs called 'Famous' and 'The City is Ours'. Gustavo also has another song that he's writing that he hesitates to show Big Time Rush. They've also been drilled with harmonies and dance practice, not to mention trying to stay on top of their school work. Not to mention keeping an eye on the Jennifer's and coming up with a plan every once in a while if they really need it.

Logan, Riley, and Rhuben have patched up their lost relationship and the Jacksons seem to spend as much time as possible hanging out with Big Time Rush, Katie, and Camille. They've all become really good friends with each other. In fact, the Jacksons have learned not to question any random comment that comes out of Carlos's mouth, and Kendall at least expects it when Camille slaps him. (It doesn't stop it from hurting though.)

"I'm so bored," Kendall, James, Logan, and Carlos groaned in unison staring up at the ceiling. They were lying on the floor in the middle of their apartment.

"I know what we could do," James said sitting up.

"If it has anything to do to help you look even more handsome than you do now, I'm not moving," Logan sighed. "Besides, nothing could help you anyway."

"Ha ha," James laughed sarcastically before lying back down. "I could help you then."

"Ha ha," Logan mimicked him, punching him on the arm.

"We could go down to the pool," Carlos suggested.

"I'm not in the mood to be screamed at by Camille," Kendall replied.

"Want to see what the Jacksons are up to?" Katie asked, walking into the apartment. Kendall rolled over onto his stomach and propped himself up. "They always seem to be doing something fun."

"I thought you were hanging out with Tyler," Kendall tilted his head to the side. Katie sighed heavily and crossed her arms.

"His mom has been after him so much lately, it's like he disappeared off the face of the earth," she rolled her eyes. "I don't get what his problem is. Being in commercials is cool."

"You've only been in one commercial Katie," Kendall reminded her.

"And who got 100 dollars doing so?" Katie shot back as she walked over to him. She brought back her foot and kicked his butt. "Come on, I'm tired of nearly tripping over all of you guys. Let's go walk around town or something. We haven't had time to sight see or star search yet."

"That's because Gustavo says the only star worth searching for is him because he's that amazing," James laughed, sitting up once again. "I'm in. Let's go do something fun."

"Counting the tiles on the ceiling is fun," Logan protested. "I've already gotten up to 2,367 of them." He let out a sigh when he realized everyone was staring at him. "Ok, I get your point."

"Let's go," Carlos happily climbed to his feet. He slapped his helmet twice.

"Carlos, why do you do that?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Emphasis," Carlos replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Duh!"

* * *

"Here we go, Dance Studio B," Kendall said as he led the way down the hall. The group could hear muffled music coming from the other side. Kendall turned the door knob and opened the door, the music getting louder, slapping them in the face.

Ronan looked up when he saw the door open out of the corner of his eye and motioned for them to come in. Katie closed the door behind them as they filed into the room, heading towards the back.

"Hey, what's Gustavo doing here?" James asked when he saw their music producer sitting in the corner, his arms crossed, a glare set upon his face. As usual, he had sunglasses covering his eyes. Kelly was sitting next to him, watching the Jacksons stretch.

"Oh, I love this song," Katie said as 'Work This Out' from High School Musical 2 came on the stereo.

"Alright, up on your feet and to your places," Rhuben said taking charge as she stood up. She crossed the room and stood at her spot facing the mirrors. Noah was to her left, Sydney was in the middle, Patrick was to her left and Riley was on the far end. "5, 6, 7, 8."

They all watched as the Jacksons danced and sang to the song. Katie tried doing the dance moves as much as possible. When High School Musical 2 first premiered she forced Kendall to watch it with her and any other time it came on so they could learn the dance moves. Of course, Kendall would never admit that himself.

During the instrumental part of the song, the Jacksons took turns doing front flips, back flips, and cartwheels across the floor.

"Whoa, look at 'em go," James whispered. "I hope we can do something like that."

"I'll drive you to the hospital afterwards," Logan said with a smirk. "They're really good."

"Yeah," Kendall agreed with a nod.

"Sssh!" Katie hissed as she continued to dance on the spot.

"Great job guys," Ronan said as Kelly, Kendall, James, Logan, Carlos, and Katie started clapping as soon as they stopped dancing. "Sydney you about half a beat off during the last chorus though." Sydney was bent over stretching his legs, but he gave Ronan a thumbs up.

"Got it," he cheerfully replied. "Hey guys."

"How many times did you have to watch High School Musical to pick that up?" Katie asked rushing over to them giving Patrick, Noah, and Sydney a hug in greeting.

"Only once," Noah shrugged. "We can pick up dance moves pretty easily."

"Where's your choreographer?" Carlos asked looking around.

"She's standing right in front of you," Riley snickered into the palm of her hand. Rhuben smirked and gave him a salute.

"You?" James asked, his eyes widening. "You're your own choreographer?"

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?" Rhuben demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, Bella," Ronan said placing a hand on her shoulder. "He's just shocked, like most people are when they find out."

"Bella?" James and Kendall chorused.

"Rhuben's full name is Rhubella," Logan explained. "She also answers to Rhu or Bella. Riley's full name is Rilandon so she goes by Riles or Landon."

"Glad to know you remembered our nicknames," Riley said rolling her eyes. She had a smile on her face nonetheless.

"Why are you two here?" Kendall asked turning to Kelly and Gustavo.

"I invited them down," Ronan explained. "You know how we had to cancel rehearsals the other day to meet with Mr. Griffin?"

"You know Mr. Griffin?" Logan asked, his eyes widening slightly.

"Maybe it's not the same Griffin," Carlos suggested.

"Just, be quiet for five minutes, please," Kendall said running his hand over his face. "How do you know Griffin?"

"If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be the owner of Blazing Phoenix Records," Ronan replied, "Anyway, Gustavo and I had a meeting with him the other day to talk about how to promote our bands. The Jacksons' music career is already successful so I gave Gustav a suggestion that he decided to take up."

"What did you suggest, Ronan?" Patrick asked, stretching his arms up over his head.

"He suggested," Gustavo started in a loud voice, causing everyone of them to jump. "That you dogs appear in one of their music videos."

"Really?" Carlos shouted in Logan's ear.

"We're shooting a music video for our cover of the song 'Fireflies' by Owl City," Riley explained, brushing her hair out of her face. "It'd be fun to have you guys in the video with us and it's a good way to show people who you are."

"That's right," Gustavo crossed his arms over his chest. "You dogs will be in a music video. I agreed to this only because it'll teach you what goes on behind the scenes when you shoot your own music video."

"Katie, you'll be in it too," Patrick added seeing the look on her face.

"Really?" Katie asked, her face lighting up. "Are you serious?"

"She doesn't sing," Logan pointed out.

"Neither do you, but they still want you in it," Carlos shot back with a grin. Logan made a noise of annoyance and elbowed him in the side.

"It doesn't matter whether she can sing or not," Rhuben explained. "In fact, none of you guys do. Our music video idea is pretty simple. Playing in the park until fireflies come out to play with us. So, we just need you guys to spend the day with us having fun."

"Because there aren't a lot of fireflies around here, they'll be digitally added in later," Sydney added. "So, what do you guys say?"

"But, why do you need me?" Katie asked. "Not that I'm saying no or anything."

"Well with Big Time Rush helping us, Sydney would be the only person without someone to act alongside with," Patrick explained putting his hands on Sydney's shoulders. He turned to Noah and muttered 'Lucy' loud enough for him to hear. Noah nodded in agreement.

"Great, the music video will be shot tomorrow at the local park so I suggest you get a good night's sleep," Ronan said clasping his hands together.

"Oh hey, what'd you guys come down for?" Rhuben asked.

"We were bored," Kendall shrugged. "We were checking to see if you were free to hang out or something. But we see that you're busy so we'll just go."

"DOGS! STUDIO! NOW!" Gustavo shouted.

"Wha-"

"You said you were bored," Gustavo said with a shrug. "What better way to be entertained than working on your songs. Now, move out!"

"Yeah, they shouldn't have mentioned that," Riley said cringing when the front door slammed shut.

"I'm surprised the mirrors didn't-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Noah said slapping a hand over Patrick's mouth. "You have a knack for making whatever you say happen."

"Yeah like that time we were wrestling at home and we hit a pedestal with a vase on it," Sydney giggled. "It didn't fall over until Patrick wondered why it didn't fall over."

* * *

"Mom! Mom!" Katie shouted, barging into their apartment.

"What is it?" Mrs. Knight asked rushing out of her room, her hand over her heart. "Where's Kendall? Is he ok? Is everyone ok?"

"Calm down, mom, we're fine," Kendall said putting up his hands as he, Carlos, Logan, and James strolled into the apartment.

"What's going on?" Mrs. Knight asked closing the door behind all of them. "What's your hurry?"

"You know how we shot that music video the other day?" Katie asked rushing over to the couches and jumping onto it. "Well, Ronan just gave us a final edited copy that's going to be on TV next week."

"We've got it right here," Kendall said waving the disc case that was in his hand.

"Oh, that's amazing news," Mrs. Knight said with a smile as her hand went up to her hair. "He's not here is he?"

"No," they all said in unison. Kendall and Katie exchanged glances and rolled their eyes.

"Come check it out, mom," Katie said bouncing in excitement. "We haven't seen it yet and I'm so excited. And I got a singing part too."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Mrs. Knight replied as she crossed the room and sat down next to her daughter. Big Time Rush sat down on opposite sides of them. Kendall placed the disc into the DVD player and grabbed the DVD remote.

After seconds of a black screen, the music video started with a slow pan over the group of 10, talking and laughing with each other as the intro to the song started playing. It paused for a few seconds on each person giving their names.

A montage of the group running through sprinklers and shooting each other with super soakers came up on the screen as a voice over of the Jacksons singing the next part played. Once the next verse came in, it showed a clip of Logan running up behind Rhuben, giving her a hug, spinning her around. Logan set her down and she took his hands and they started to dance. A montage of Big Time Rush swinging on swings played. Katie was standing behind Kendall pushing him. One by one, they took turns jumping off the swings.

A montage of the group playing tag, giving piggy back rides, and the Jacksons doing cartwheels and flips while Katie and Big Time Rush tried to copy them played. The camera zoomed out to show the ten of them sitting in a circle with a giant picnic basket in the middle, passing around plates, napkins, cups, and dishes of food. Kendall and James shot watermelon seeds out of their mouths. Rhuben and Logan grasped hands and stated spinning in a circle. Next to them, Noah and Carlos were doing the same thing.

Sydney stepped up behind Katie, who had the jar of fireflies in her hands. Sydney placed her hands on top of hers. He then twisted off the top of the jar and the fireflies flew out as he sang, "I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly. It's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep.  
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams."

The screen faded to black as the music died out. "Feature Big Time Rush: Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell, and Katie Knight" scrolled up the screen before the disk stopped playing.

"That was wonderful," Mrs. Knight said clapping. She then gave Katie and Kendall a hug. "I'm so proud of you. All of you."

"There's just one thing that bothers me about that," James said tapping his chin.

"What? You didn't get enough air time?" Logan asked with a laugh.

"Why does Kendall's name get to go first," James asked getting to his feat.

"Because I'm the leader, James," Kendall said sarcastically. He blinked when he saw the annoyed looks on his friends' faces. "Seriously? I was kidding! I don't know why I was first."

"I think _my_ name should go first," James grinned. "I mean, I do have the great hair and the perfect face."

"Yeah, the face that gets all the girls," Carlos shot back.

"What's your point?" James asked with a shrug and a grin.

"His point is why don't you give us the rest of a chance?" Logan asked getting to his feet. "Now, I think the smartest, most adorable, person should go first."

"Thank you for describing me once again, Logan," James said clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"You know what-"

"No. What?"

Big Time Rush stood in a circle facing each other, pointing and arguing with each other. The pointing eventually turned to shoving which then turned to them jumping on top of each other and hitting each other with couch pillows.

"Boys," Katie rolled her eyes as she grabbed the DVD remote. "So, mom, wanna watch it again?"

* * *

**A/N: So this was just a filler chapter to show the two groups got along with each other. Hope you liked it and the story will be picking up from here.**** Do you think I should add Jo to this story? Is there anything specific you guys want to see? I'll definately be updating on Valentine's Day.  
**


	7. Chapter 7: Big Time Gossip

**7: **_Big Time Gossip_

* * *

"WHAT?"

James, Carlos, Katie, and Mrs. Knight jumped when they heard the loud scream that came from Kendall. They were all sitting around the pool, enjoying the day. Carlos had tried flirting with every girl that he's seen, but as usual, his attempts were flushed down the drain. Let's just say in some cases it's a good thing he wears the helmet.

Camille had come to join them shortly after they got there of course with another monologue of hers. This time she was auditioning for an episode of Dawsons' Creek Jr, a new up and coming show. She was trying out for a girl named Charlie, a play off of Joey Potter.

"What's the matter?" James asked, looking at Kendall over top of his sunglasses. "I was in the middle of the best dream. I have this giant mansion and Nicole was feeding me Cinnamon Toast Crunch."

Carlos and Logan gave him a weird stare. "What?" he asked, widening his eyes. When they continued to stare at him he then turned back to his friend. "So, why were you screaming?"

"Look," was the only word that formed on Kendall's lips as he handed him a magazine that was in his hands.

"You guys haven't seen the newest issue of PW-Gossip?" Camille asked, raising an eyebrow. She got blank stares in return. "Ok, obviously you haven't. PW-Gossip is this newsletter that goes out to all the working kids that live here about all the gossip that goes around. It's actually really successful?"

"With a name like PW-Gossip?" Katie asked rolling her eyes. "I'm surprise. I could come up with a better name than that." She lifted the straw to her smoothie to her mouth.

"Anyway, you're going to want to look at it," Camille said with a smile. "It has a pretty good article about Kendall and his new girlfriend." Katie coughed and chocked, spitting out a mouthful of smoothie. Mrs. Knight gently patted her back.

"Kendall, I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Mrs. Knight said with a pleasant smile on her face.

"Yeah, seriously, why didn't you tell us?" Carlos asked, looking offended. Kendall elbowed him in the stomach.

"Mom, I don't have a girlfriend," Kendall said turning to face her. She was already off in her own world.

"We should have her over for dinner," she was saying, clasping her hands together. "When will I meet her? Kendall, why didn't-"

"MOM!" Kendall practically shouted, causing her to fall silent. "I don't have a girlfriend ok? This is just a rumor."

"Who is your rumored girlfriend?" Katie asked, leaning over to get a better look.

She burst out laughing as soon as she saw the headline. The page she was open to was a two page layout. The first thing that caught her eye was a still frame from the Fireflies video they shot of Riley and Kendall, with Riley's head resting on his shoulder, the two of them smiling and looking genuinely happy. The headline read 'BIG TIME NEW MAN?'

"Riley? They think you're dating Riley?"

"Why haven't I met her yet? She seems nice," Mrs. Knight said shoving Kendall's arm.

"Mom," Kendall snapped, rolling his eyes in annoyance as Logan grabbed the magazine from James.

"Why do they think that?" Carlos asked, grabbing the magazine.

"Ow, paper cut!" Logan shouted, before sticking his finger into his mouth.

"I'll kiss it to make it better," Camille offered.

"Uh, no, that's ok," Logan replied slowly pulling his finger out of his mouth. He then turned to Carlos. "And duh, they think they're dating because of the music video. Look, that's the same opening picture when Riley starts singing."

"I'm surprised they didn't say anything about you and Rhuben, Logan," Camille said with a small laugh. Her smile quickly faded and she grabbed the magazine out of their hands. "They didn't did they?"

"Nothing is going on with me and Rhuben, Camille, don't worry," Logan said putting up his hands. He missed the relieved look on Camille's face. "I wonder if they've seen it yet."

"Let's go ask them," Katie suggested.

"DOGS! STUDIO! NOW!"

" Does he not know our names or something?" James asked, pushing his sunglasses back up his nose. "And why am I not in this magazine?" His friends ignored him and let out defeated sighs, heading over to where Gustavo stood, his arms crossed over his chest. As soon as Kendall got near him, he grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him forward.

"Do you want something?" Kendall asked, tilting his head back. "Because this is a little too close for me."

"DEAL WITH IT!" Gustavo shouted in his face. "I have the best idea ever. Griffin wants a new catchy song that everyone can relate to. And then I saw the new issue of PW-Gossip."

"Gustavo, please don't tell me that you-"

"And once I saw that you had a new girlfriend it hit me, why not a love song?" Gustavo asked with a smile on his face.

"Gustavo I don't-"

Gustavo interrupted Kendall by letting him go and shoving him back towards his friends. Kendall stumbled over his feet, but his friends caught him and helped him regain his balance. Kendall tried to get Gustavo to listen to him, but he was too far into his rant to notice.

"So, I wrote a love song for you guys and you're going to sing it _right now_," Gustavo concluded before pointing his arms towards the direction of the Palm Woods. "Now, move out." With that, he turned on his heels and headed out, a look of determination on his face.

"Does anybody else get the feeling he doesn't listen to anything I say?" Kendall asked after a moment of silence.

When he got no answer he turned around and saw his friends with their noses buried in the PW-Gossip magazine, jabbing their fingers in random places, their mouths hanging open. James' mouth twitched before he looked up.

"Sorry, did you say something?" he asked, a questioning look on his face. Kendall sighed heavily before grabbing the magazine out of their hands and tossing it over his shoulder.

"Dude!" Carlos gasped as his friends all looked up at him.

"Would you stop looking at that? Riley and I aren't dating," Kendall said crossing his arms over his chest. Carlos was slowly shaking his head back and forth.

"You sure you're not in denial?" he asked.

"Carlos!" Kendall snapped.

"Just checking," Carlos replied defensively putting up his hands, his eyes wide in innocence. "You think Gustavo realized we haven't followed him?"

"DOGS!"

"Does that answer your question?" Logan asked, flinching at the sudden yell.

"I wonder if the Jacksons have read this," James said tilting his head to the side.

* * *

Patrick sang, dancing in his spot as the music played through his headphones.

He and Noah were finishing recording their vocals for their cover of the song 'Baby's Coming Back' as a hidden track on their latest album. It was a duet sung by the two of them. Their fans had been asking for it for a while and they were happy to finally be able to get it done for them.

Riley, Rhuben, and Sydney were sitting on the floor behind Ronan (who was at the switchboard) playing a card game. They had already gone through Go Fish and Crazy Eights and were now playing their fourth round of Poker. A small pile of cash was sitting beside Sydney, who was smiling happily. Riley and Rhuben were determined to win their money back.

"You do know that you're supposed to have a poker face right?" Riley asked, raisin an eyebrow.

"This is my poker face," Sydney teased, his smile getting even bigger.

Patrick belted the song out loud, throwing his arm around Noah's shoulders as the two of them sang, swaying to the music. The two of them were so close to each other, that people speculated whether they were gay or not. Sure, they do act a little closer than some brothers would, but they were more than brothers; they were twin brothers. They were closer than close. They say they're so close, their hearts even beat at the same time.

"And cut," Ronan said into the microphone in front of him. Patrick and Noah gave Ronan identical questioning looks. They were quickly alternating between thumbs up and thumbs down. "Great job you guys." Ronan gave them a thumbs up before waving them back into the main room.

"NO!"

"Did you lose again?" Patrick asked dryly as he and Noah walked back into the room.

"He had a Full House," Rhuben said in a somewhat dazed voice. "He's beaten us three times with a full house." She then gave Sydney a hard stare. "You cheated didn't you!"

"Why would I do that?" Sydney asked widening his eyes in innocence. Then a wicked grin crossed his features. "You shouldn't play poker against a genius. I can count cards."

"Ha! So you _did_ cheat" Riley demanded.

"it's not cheating," Sydney stuck his tongue out at her. "it's creative strategy."

"Alright, Rhuben, it's your turn," Ronan said glancing at the schedule that was sitting next to him. "You're recording your song 'Don't Know Why'."

"Got it," Rhuben replied getting back to her feet.

"My kids are taking a break, Ronan," Robert announced as he stormed into the room, "Now."

"What's going on?" Ronan asked, a confused look on his face.

"Let me talk to my kids alone," Robert growled. It wasn't a question, it was a command. Ronan silently looked into Robert's eyes and saw the seriousness in them. He quietly got to his feet and headed towards the door.

"Ronan," Sydney whimpered before shutting his mouth.

Ronan turned to look at him and was shocked to see a look of fear on the small boy's face. Ronan looked back at the five of them and saw that Riley and Rhuben were standing at the forefront, Patrick and Noah behind them, with Sydney quickly moving behind his brothers. Sydney tightly grabbed onto Patrick's elbow, and pressed his cheek to his back, looking up at his dad. Patrick and Noah were looking anywhere but at Ronan and their dad, and Riley and Rhuben had an unrecognizable look on their faces.

"Ronan, please," Robert said quietly.

"Just come get me," Ronan said with a short nod before he left the office, quietly closing the door behind him. He stepped away from the door and stared at it, debating whether or not to walk back in when he heard Robert start to scream, but he couldn't figure out what he was saying.

"I thought I told you that you weren't going to have any relationships while you were here," Robert snapped, slapping Riley across the face.

She fell to the ground at the sudden movement, a hand on her stinging cheek. Rhuben moved to help her sister up, but Robert roughly pushed her aside. She stumbled into the coffee table before she hit the floor. Patrick immediately rushed to her side to check if she was ok, Noah backed Sydney, who was shaking with fear, into the corner of the room.

"When were you going to tell me that you were dating that…boy?"

"I haven't disobeyed you," Riley hissed, turning her cold blue gaze to her dad. "Kendall isn't my boyfriend. We're not dating."

"You better not be lying to me," Robert hissed grabbing a handful of her hair, lifted her head up to so she was staring into his eyes. He sucked in a breath of air before he spat in her face. He roughly pushed her away from him before straightening his tie. He then turned his attention the rest of them. "You guys have been spending too much time with Gustavo's new band. I forbid you to go anywhere near them."

"You can't do that," Rhuben gasped sitting up. "They're our friends. Riles and I have known Logan for years. You can't tell us who we can and can't be friends with." Rhuben let out a small scream of pain when Robert walked over to her and gave her a swift kick in the side.

"I think I just did," Robert said quietly before walking over to the door. He stopped, his back turned to his kids. "If I find out you spend even five seconds with them, then you're on the next plane back to Australia, mates."

"Dad!" Riley shouted at him, he quickly turned his head, giving her a harsh glare. "I mean, _sir_, you can't do that." She swallowed thickly. "We're doing this for you. We're making the money for you. If we don't do this, you don't get any money." Her voice quivered.

Robert smirked before wrenching the door open and storming off.

"Riles," Patrick said gently placing a hand on his sister's shoulder. "We have to do something about this. We have to-"

"We can't tell anyone," Rhuben interrupted him. "We made a pact. We said we wouldn't tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?" Ronan asked, coming back into the room, closing the door behind him. He put a fake thoughtful look on his face. "Tell anyone that your dad abuses you?" A gasp escaped Sydney's mouth before he could stop himself. "What, you didn't think I'd find out?"

The Jacksons didn't say anything. They were either staring at Ronan or were determined not to look him in the eye. Ronan crossed his arms over his chest and let out a heavy sigh through his nose, staring up at the ceiling.

"How long have you known?" Riley asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Ever since I signed you guys to my record label," Ronan replied, sliding down the door until he was sitting down.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rhuben demanded, sounding as if she was going to cry. "Why didn't you-"

"Why didn't _you_ say anything?" Ronan shot back at her, causing her to fall silent. He let out a sigh, running his hands over his face. "I didn't say anything because I didn't think it would escalate this far. I didn't say anything because I was scared. He's threatened you hasn't he? He's threatened he'd hurt you if you told."

Tears slipped down Sydney's cheeks as he slowly padded up to Ronan. He sniffed and threw his arms around Ronan's neck, burying his face into his neck.

"Sorry," he whimpered.

* * *

"_Any kind, any kind, any kind of guy you want. You decide, it's alright, I will be there_."

Wordlessly, Gustavo cut off the music and leaned back in his chair, his arms over his chest. Kelly glanced back and forth from the boys to Gustavo.

"That was pathetic!" Gustavo shouted as he slapped his hand down on the microphone button, screaming into the microphone in front of him.

Kelly rolled her eyes. She was used to him screaming at everybody, but had the suspicion that he actually liked the boys and only yelled at them to be the best they could be. On a few occasions she tried to get him to admit it, but Gustavo is holding tight to his belief that he couldn't stand the boys.

"This is a love song for crying out loud and Kendall, you'll be singing it to your girlfriend, put more emotion into it," Gustavo said rubbing his forehead in annoyance.

"She's not my girlfriend," Kendall snapped, annoyed that everyone was brining it up. "How many times do I have to say that?"

"Good because I don't want my daughter dating someone like you,"

Gustavo turned around to face Robert Jackson as he walked into the studio, loosening his tie. "Gustavo," he said with a nod in greeting. "How's the recording coming?"

"Robert," Gustavo gave a nod of his own. He went on to explain about the recording but Robert cut him off.

"Would it be alright if I talked to your boys for a second?" Robert asked, running his hand through his dark hair.

"We're in the middle of-"

"It'll be quick, I promise," Robert said calmly putting up his hand. Before Gustavo answered him, he opened the door to the recording studio and walked up to Kendall. Kendall took one look at him before he started talking.

"Hello, Mr. Jackson sir," Kendall said with a nervous smile. He was talking really fast. "Let me tell you that I am not dating your daughter. It was just a rumor. Not that I don't want to date your daughter. She is really pretty and everything, but I just don't like her like that. Plus, I think it would get in the way of our careers and everything." He saw the look on Robert's face and slowed his speech. "And I'm going to stop talking now."

"Thanks for clearing that up," Robert said raising an eyebrow. "I don't want you hanging out with my kids anymore."

"B-but, they're our friends," James protested, a confused look on his fac.e

"I don't care," Robert flicked his head to the side, moving hair out of his face. "You're ruining their concentration. They don't have any time for friends. Especially friends like you." His gaze landed on Logan as he said the last part. Logan let out a small whimpering sound and quickly unclipped Carlos's helmet, slamming it down on his own head. "Stay away from my kids."

With his hands behind his back, he turned around and left the room, nodding to Kelly and Gustavo on his way out.

"I think I wet myself a little bit," Carlos said in a shaky whisper.

James, Kendall, and Logan stepped away from him.

"I don't care what he says," Kendall said after a moment of silence. "I'm still going to hang out with them."

"Yeah, and if I know Landon and Bella, they're not going to stop hanging out with us either," Logan said shaking his head. "They don't take to authority well."

"What gave you that idea?" James asked sarcastically. "The fact that they're great with coming up with plans or the fact that they do opposite of whatever their dad says?"

About an hour later, the boys were once again laying around the pool. Carlos, Kendall, and Logan were simply laying back, enjoying the sun's rays while James was busy checking himself in the reflection of the water.

"Hey, have you guys seen Riley or Rhuben today? "Camille asked walking over to the group.

"Aren't they always with you?" Kendall asked, raising his eyebrows.

"They haven't been to the pool all day," Camille said shaking her head. "I know they had to record today, but they said they'd meet me here later."

"We haven't seen them," Logan shook his head. "In fact, we haven't seen them all day." He exchanged glances with Carlos before a worried look crossed his face. "I hope they're ok."

"You guys are worrying too much," James said leaning back in his chair. "I'm sure they're fine. They have a more established music career than we do right now. They're probably just busy."

"You guys are probably right," Camille said a smile coming to her face. "So, how was recording today?"

* * *

Patrick winced every time his fingers came into contact with this bruised skin. He was standing in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He had a fresh bruise around his eye and was currently trying to cover it up with make-up. Tears came to his eyes every time he tried to cover it. He let out a hiss of pain and dropped his head, staring down at the sink.

After their recording session with Ronan, they had gone back up to their apartment on the sixth floor of the Palm Woods to change and head down to the pool for relaxation. Instead, their father met them up at the apartment and had beat them once again and said they weren't allowed to go down to the pool or leave the apartment for the rest of the day. Seeing the look on Robert's face, the Jacksons knew he meant business and that they shouldn't go behind his back on this one.

"Let me help."

Patrick looked up and gave Riley a soft smile at her reflected image before holding out the jar that was in his hand.

"Thanks," he said quietly, as he turned to face her. "Riles?"

"Hmm?" Riley asked, gently dabbing the make-up onto his face.

"Why us?" Patrick asked wincing slightly as her fingers grazed his face.

"'Why us' as in why are we getting abused?" Riley asked.

"How can you always tell what I'm thinking?" Patrick asked, shaking his head.

"Because you've been following me around since you could walk, doing whatever I do," Riley replied with an amused smirk. "Besides that, I'm supposed to know what you guys are thinking. How else am I supposed to protect you?"

"You didn't answer my question," Patrick pointed out. Riley hesitated before answering.

"I don't know why," Riley replied, setting down the jar. "I just know we've always lived with it and we wouldn't be as close as we are now if it didn't happen."

"Why can't we just tell anybody?" Patrick demanded. Riley suddenly looked tired. '_It must be from all the years that she's taken care of us. She doesn't really split the duties with Rhube even though she is her second in command_.'

"You know why," Riley said in a monotone as if she had gone through this a million times. In fact, she has gone through this same conversation a lot. She goes through it every night with Rhuben before they go to sleep. "We'll be sent to foster care and we'll be split up. Because you, Noah, and Sydney are younger, you'll be taken no problem. Rhu and I are too old."

"You don't know that for sure," Patrick protested.

"You don't think I checked?" Riley asked, putting a hand on her hip. "Not to mention, that you three have the cuteness factor on your side." She ran her fingers through his hair. "Trust me. Rhu and I will make sure we stay together for as long as possible."

"If you say so," Patrick said with a shrug.

"I say so," Riley said grabbing the jar of make-up. "And don't go into my make-up drawer without asking."

She smirked at him before heading out of the bathroom. Patrick sighed and turned back to the mirror, turning his head this way and that, making sure his bruise wasn't visible. He blinked when he heard knocking on the door.

"I'll get it," he called, coming out of the bathroom. He crossed the room to the door and unlocked the lock, putting his hand on the doorknob and twisting it, pulling the door open. "It's probably your boyfriend, Riles. What do you want me to tell him?" He chuckled to himself, turning to face whoever was at the door and gasped when he saw, "Katie?" His hand immediately flew up to his hair.

"Your spikes are fine," Katie laughed shaking her head. Patrick blushed slightly.

"Uh, uh, what are you doing here?" he asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"I haven't seen you guys all day," Katie said with a small smile. "You weren't down at the pool or hanging with the guys or Camille so I thought you were up here."

"We've just been really busy," Patrick said lifting his gaze from the floor to her. "Um-"

"Pat! You won't believe how many neopoints I just won," Noah said with a wide grin as he stepped up behind his brother. Once he spotted Katie, a blush crossed his face and he started talking in his quiet tone, picking up a shy demeanor. "Hi, Katie.

"Hi, Noah," Katie smiled at him and Patrick's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Um, would you like something to drink?" Noah asked, gently elbowing his twin brother in the side. "Or are you hungry or something?"

"Would you like to come in?" Patrick added.

"Yeah, sure," Katie said as Patrick and Noah stepped aside to let her in.

They exchanged glances before closing the front door and following her into the kitchen. Patrick and Noah raced ahead of her, Patrick to a cupboard and Noah to the refrigerator. Katie climbed up onto the stool behind the counter. Patrick set three cups onto the table as Noah popped open a can of Pepsi and poured it into the three cups.

"Are you guys ok?" Katie asked after taking a long drink.

"Yeah," Patrick replied immediately. "Why?"

"You're…not acting like yourselves," Katie replied. She shrugged. "You know, you guys aren't pylling pranks or making plans to get something to go your way with the guys."

"We've just been busy," Noah said, spinning the cup in his hands. "We have our concert next week. Dad's been pushing us with recording, dancing, and photo shoots."

"Is it that bad?" Katie asked, her eyebrows knitted together.

"It's a lot of hard work," Patrick admitted. "But, you know it helps that we go to the gym and run a lot. You know, to build our muscle mass and everything." Patrick shifted in his seat, involuntarily flexing his muscles. Noah raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. "We get up early to go and run on the beach."

"Why on the beach and not on a treadmill?" Katie asked setting her empty cup aside.

"Because sand is looser than any other dirt so it's harder to sprint on it, but it's great with building up your calf muscles," Noah added. "We used to take gymnastics when we were younger which is how we could do those flips and stuff."

"I've never heard you guys sing," Katie said brushing her hair out of her face. "Could you sing something for me?"

Patrick motioned for Noah to lean over. He did so and Patrick whispered something into his ear. The two of them straightened up and cleared their throats. Patrick started snapping his fingers in time before the two of them started singing. Katie smiled as she listened to them sing, easily harmonized their voices as they sang the last word. A wide smile was set upon Katie's face. Noah blushed and lowered his head, waiting for her to talk.

"Wow that was amazing," Katie said, clapping her hands together.

"Thanks," the twins muttered in unison.

There was an awkward pause between the three of them. "So, how are your neopets doing?" Katie asked, her smile widening as an embarrassed blush tinged the twins' cheeks pink. "Don't be embarrassed, I still play neopets. In fact, I could easily get you three thousand neopoints if you want."

"Could you really?" Patrick asked raising his eyebrows.

"Where's your computer?" Katie asked with a smug look sliding off the stool.

"Right this way," Noah said showing her the way to their bedroom.

Patrick sighed heavily sliding his hands into his jeans pockets as he followed them. Sydney popped out from behind the couch and giggled into his hands, practically skipping into Riley and Rhuben's room.

"Katie's here," Sydney announced as he climbed up on Rhuben's bed and started jumping up and down. "She's playing neopets with Patrick and Noah."

"That doesn't surprise me," Rhuben commented from the floor. She was writing in a notebook, her back against her bed.

"Which part?" Riley asked from her bed, setting down the skateboard magazine that was in her hand. "The fact that they're playing neopets or the fact that Katie's spending time with Patrick and Noah?"

"Both," Rhuben replied with a smirk. "Patrick and Noah have been playing neopets for as long as I can remember. It's one of their easy ways to get a little happiness. The fact that they're both hanging out with Katie doesn't surprise me."

"Why not?" Sydney asked, still bouncing.

"Because they both like her," Riley replied sitting up. "It's totally obvious. They both silently try and outdo each other." She laughed. "You can't possibly tell me you didn't know that."

Sydney immediately stopped bouncing, "Hellooo! I'm the genius in the family remember? I think I could have figure out for myself." He then giggled, his dimples appearing in his cheeks. "I just wanted someone else to admit it."

"Yeah, _Riles_, he wanted someone else to admit it," Rhuben said with a grin. Riley let out a noise of frustration and threw her magazine at her twin who deflected it with a pillow.

"I'm not dating Kendall ok?" Riley practically shouted. "I don't even like him like that."

"Sure you don't," Rhuben smirked.

"I don't."

"I believe you."

"Stop it, I don't."

"Right."

"Rhu," Riley's eyes flashed in annoyance. "Seriously, I don't."

"Ok, you can't possible tell me you don't think he's cute," Rhuben said putting her notebook aside. "Carlos is really funny, James has the great hair and awesome smile, Logan is our best friend and it would be pretty weird if we thought he was cute because he is like another brother to us and is really smart, and Kendall is…the perfect guy for you."

"Yeah, Ri-Ri," Sydney giggled, using his nickname for her. "He's the perfect guy for you."

"Syd. Out. Now," Riley said with a fake sweet smile. "Or I won't make you brownies for dessert."

Sydney let out a loud gasp, his hands covering his mouth. "You wouldn't do that!"

"Oh, I would," Riley replied before pointing towards the door. Sydney made a whimpering sound before running out.

"You lucky I love your brownies so much," Sydney pouted, his arms across his chest before he turned and headed out of the room. Riley got up and closed the door behind him.

"Admit it, Riles, you think he's cute," Rhuben said jumping back to the topic at hand. "Heck, even I think he's cute."

Riley let out a heavy sigh, sitting down across from her twin sister. "Ok, I have to agree with you, Kendall is cute."

"Ha, I knew it," Rhuben said with a grin.

"What about you?" Riley demanded a smirk sliding onto her face. Rhuben raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Correct me if I'm wrong but when we were younger I always thought you had a crush on Logan."

"Yeah right," Rhuben laughed. "No, I didn't like Logan."

"And if I didn't know any better I'd say you still like him," Riley laughed at the look on her sister's face. "Hey, you said it yourself, he's not the math nerd we knew when we were younger. Just admit it, you think he's cute and who wouldn't think that, seriously?"

Rhuben let out a heavy sigh. "This doesn't leave this room."

"I swear," Riley said putting up her hands as her sister scratched her forehead.

"Truth is I did use to have a crush on Logan when we were younger," Rhuben admitted. "But when we moved, I didn't think we'd see him again so I moved on. And you're right he isn't the math nerd we used to know. He is still really smart, I'll give him that, but I don't think he's cute anymore…I think he's hot."

Meanwhile, Patrick, and Katie had their ears pressed against the closed bedroom door, smiles on their faces. Noah and Sydney were standing behind them, uncomfortable looks on their faces, their arms crossed over their chests.

"I knew it," Patrick whispered as he slapped Katie a high five.

"You guys we shouldn't be doing this," Sydney whined, stomping his foot. "It's not fair to them."

"Excuse me, but you eavesdrop on us all of the time," Noah said turning to look at him.

"That's different," Sydney protested. "Ronan wants to know, not me." Patrick and Noah turned to give him annoyed looks. "What? Oh come on, you know Ronan is like our second father. Heck, he's much more of a father than dad has ever been."

He gasped and a hand flew to his mouth as Katie turned to look at him. She glanced at the angry looks on Patrick and Noah's faces and then over at the scared look on Sydney's face.

"Oops," he whispered.

* * *

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day everyone. ****Do you think I should add Jo to this story? Is there anything specific you guys want to see? What was your favorite part? What should I work more on? Do you like how I have angst and humor in the same chapter and am I doing a good job with it? Most importantly: BTRxromance or BTRxfriendship fic?  
**


	8. Chapter 8: Big Time Dog

**8: **_Big Time Dog_

* * *

Over the next couple of days, the Jacksons and Big Time Rush have been really busy with their music careers. Katie has noticed that whenever they all get the chance to hang out (with Camille too) the Jacksons aren't as lively as they were before. They don't make as many jokes as they used to.

Being best friends with Riley and Rhuben, Logan was worried about how they were acting. They didn't spend as much time with Logan as they did when they first got there the month before.

They all had a small get together celebrating their first month at the Palm Woods and their success with their music. Camille of course only went so she could spend the day staring at Logan the whole time. Mrs. Knight even went as far as making a cake in the shape of a giant CD in a CD case.

They're constant thought of why the Jacksons weren't happy has also somewhat affected their singing and dancing. They've always been really distracted and Gustavo was losing his patience with them. Not that he had a lot of patience to begin with. Kelly has tried to get it out of them but she hasn't had any luck at all.

The boys were currently sitting around a table on the pool deck, a sheet of paper in the middle of the table. They were taking turns writing down their ideas on how to make the Jacksons happier.

"There's got be a way we can cheer them up," Kendall said slapping his hand down on the table. "Logan. Brain. Now."

"Ok, we could…take them to the beach," Logan suggested. "They love surfing and stuff."

"We don't know where the beach is," Kendall reminded him.

"Hellooo," Carlos said rolling his eyes. "It's the place with all the sand and water." Seeing the looks on his friends' faces he slumped down in his chair only to sit straight up seconds later, gasping in excitement. "We could get them a puppy! That would make them happy!"

"No, Carlos," Logan slowly replied. "That would make _you_ happy."

"You still haven't gotten over Sparky have you?" James asked, resting his head in his hands.

"SPARKY!" Carlos shouted before bursting into sobs, slamming his forehead down on the table. "Ow."

"Besides, the Palm Woods doesn't allow pets," James added, waving his hand in the air.

"There's gotta be something we can do," Kendall said. All of them let out a heavy sigh when they heard Gustavo's yells getting closer and closer to them. "But, we're going to have to figure something out later on."

They all paused when they saw Carlos was still sitting down, his head still down on the table. Logan let out a heavy sigh before grabbing his friend by his shoulders and gently nudged him to his feet.

"Let's go, Carlos," he said patting his still sobbing friend on the back.

"Sparky," Carlos whimpered. "Why'd you have to go?"

"I know, Carlos, I know," Logan said gently as Carlos let out a loud wail and put his head on his friend's shoulder.

Kendall and James raised their eyebrows at the two of them. Logan just shrugged in reply and made a face as Carlos blew his nose into Logan's shirt.

"Ew," James and Kendall muttered, disgusted looks on their faces.

"Well, let's go see what Gustavo wants," Kendall said with a sigh. The four of them quietly left the Palm Woods pool deck and headed inside to find Kelly and Gustavo standing in the lobby, waiting for them. "What are doing today Gustavo? Working on our dance movies?"

"Harmonies?" Logan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Shopping trip for more Barracuda products?" James asked with a wink, clicking his tongue. Carlos let out a loud sniff.

"What's up with him?" Gustavo asked jerking his thumb in Carlos's direction.

"He's suffering from puppy withdrawal," Kendall replied dryly. "So, what are we doing today?"

"Nothing," Gustavo replied with a shrug.

"Come again?" Logan asked, doing a double take.

"Consider this the second treat I'm giving you," Gustavo replied, pulling his sunglasses off his face.

"But you said you'd never give us another one," James pointed out. "Why aren't we working today?"

"Gustavo and I have an important meeting with Mr. Griffin about your demos and what he wants us to do," Kelly replied. "So, we're giving you the day off."

"YES!" the boys yelled jumping into the air.

"_But_, you can't get into any trouble while we're gone," Kelly said putting up her finger. "And no plans! If you do then-"

"You're fired," Gustavo interrupted her. James let out a high pitched scream, grabbing his head. With that, the two of them headed out of the front doors to the Palm Woods.

"No. Plans," Kelly repeated over her shoulder. Kendall smiled and waved at them until they were out of sight. He then spun on his heel and turned to face his friends.

"Give me five minutes and I'll think of a plan," Kendall said clasping his hands together.

"But Kelly said that we'd be fired," James grabbed onto the front of Kendall's shirt. "Do you _want_ to crush my dreams?" He let out a little laugh. "I don't think you want to. I'll end up like Carlos and Sparky."

"Sparky!" Carlos moaned before burying his face into his hands.

"You had to go there?" Logan asked, annoyed as Carlos grabbed onto him once again.

Later that day, the boys of Big Time Rush decided to spend their day exploring part of LA that they haven't had the chance to see. Of course they had to bring Katie with them and that wasn't their favorite thing to do. She spent most of her time in sunglasses shops. She said the only way they could get her out of the stores was for Kendall to buy her anything she wanted.

She demanded that he get her a tub of Death By Chocolate ice cream for her to take back to the Palm Woods to give to the Jacksons hoping that it would make them feel better. Not to mention, she got an ice cream cone with six scoops on it. Carlos was even more upset about not getting any ice cream than about Sparky.

They were on their way back to the Palm Woods when they passed by a pet shop. Carlos let out a whimpering sound and stood with his nose pressed up against the window as he stared down at a box of puppies.

"Carlos, let's go," Kendall said grabbing his friend's shoulders trying to pull him away from the windows.

"I'm just going to go in for one second," Carlos replied before bursting into the store.

"Carlos, no," James said rushing in after his friend. "The last time you walked into a store saying you would only be there for a minute, you ate practically every ice cream in the store."

"Yeah, but that was totally worth it," Carlos said with a grin.

"We're not going to buy anything, alright?" Logan said falling into his responsible role. "We're just looking and-oh look, cats." He raced over to Katie's side, who was sitting on the floor playing with a black kitten with white paws.

"Aw, look at the little puppy," James cooed as he picked up a golden retriever puppy. The puppy let out a small squeak before licking James' nose. "Aw, he likes me."

"I've gotta admit, he is really cute," Kendall said scratching the puppies back.

"Excuse me," Carlos turned to one of the workers that was there. "How much for one of the puppies?"

"Carlos, no," Logan said dropping a kitten back into the box it was in and walked over to his friend. "We're not buying a puppy. Besides, you don't have enough money for it?"

"My mom gave me a credit card in case of emergencies," Carlos replied carelessly pulling it out of his wallet. "What do you think this is?"

"This is not an emergency," Logan replied grabbing the credit card from Carlos.

"Aw, come on, Logie," Kendall whined taking the puppy from James and holding him in front of Logan's face. "Just look at that cute wittle face."

"Oh please," Katie rolled her eyes as she gently placed the kitten back into the box. "Baby voices?"

Kendall ignored her and gave Logan a pout. James and Carlos quickly joined in. Logan looked from the puppy to Kendall, to James, to Logan, and back at the puppy.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Logan groaned holding out the credit card. The shop worker took the credit card and headed over to the cash register. "But, look at the cute face."

"I get to carry him out of the store," Katie announced, shooting her hand into the air.

"No, I do," Carlos protested.

"_I do_," Katie shouted, stomping her foot.

"Dude," the shop worker said shaking his head as he put a collar and a leash on the puppy. "She's a little girl. And you're, what, 17? Let her have it."

"No fair," Carlos pouted as Katie cheered and lifted the puppy into her arms, a bright smile on her face.

"I can't believe I did that," Logan moaned, his face in his hands.

"Yeah, well, you did," Kendall said shaking his friend. "And now we have a puppy on our hands."

"Here's one slight little problem," Logan said with a small laugh. Kendall gave him a look as if he was going crazy. "A: how are we going to get him into the Palm Woods? B: have you ever potty trained a dog before?"

"Easy and no, I'll wing it," Kendall said before slapping his friend on the back. "Lighten up will ya? You know you're happy with this."

"While that may be true," Logan said with a sigh. "I predict an 100 percent chance that this will go down the toilet."

"Logie, Logie, Logie," Kendall shook his head. "You need to relax. Take risks. Riles told me about your little adventures when you were younger. So why won't you take a risk now?"

"Because I'll suffer the worst consequences ever," Logan replied. "And stop calling me Logie."

"Hmm, let me think about that," Kendall pretended to think as he tapped his chin with his index finger. "No."

"Come on, let's take Duke home," Katie said with a smile.

"Duke?" Kendall laughed. "That's the best name you can come up with?"

"I don't see if you can come up with any bright ideas," Katie shot back. She rolled her eyes at the look on Kendall's face. "We're not naming him B-Dawg."

"Ah, hockey pucks, why not?" Kendall whined.

"What about Cuda?" James asked with a grin. "Cuda's a great name."

"We're naming him Sparky and that's that," Carlos said pushing them out the door.

"We're not naming him Sparky," everyone practically shouted into Carlos's face.

* * *

"Dad and Ronan want to see us in the living room."

Sydney looked up from his laptop computer, pushing his goggles up his forehead as he faced Noah who was leaning in the doorway of the room that Sydney shared with Patrick and Noah. It was big enough for two beds, but somehow Robert convinced the manager to the Palm Woods, Mr. Bitters, to let them install a bunk bed for Patrick and Noah and let Sydney have a single bed.

"He's in a bad mood isn't he?" Sydney asked setting aside his laptop and pulling off his gloves.

He uses goggles and gloves for his own protection since he's always on the computer if he's not hanging out with his siblings or with Katie, Camille, and Big Time Rush or if he's working on music all day. The goggles were to help cut the brightness of the screen that could hurt his eyes and the goggles he wore to keep his hands and fingers warm and to prevent them from cramping up.

That's what some people considered weird about him, that his siblings weren't annoyed with having their little brother always hanging around. In fact, some people were amazed that the Jackson's friends didn't mind having him around all of the time. But, people only say that if they don't get a chance to spend time with him and see how he acts. If they really knew how the Jacksons lived they would understand why they always spend as much time together as possible.

"When is he not?" Noah asked with a small laugh. He used his shoulder to brush his hair out of his face. "But Ronan is there so he can't do anything."

"Ronan knows," Sydney said more to himself than his brother. "He's the only other person that could figure it out and he never did anything."

"He's scared like us," Noah said in his quiet tone stepping into the room. "But, he is trying to do something. He knows how close we are and he's taking into consideration that we don't want to be split up."

"How do you know?" Sydney asked sliding off the bed and putting his hands on his hips. Noah smiled, a playful look in his eye as he ran his fingers through Sydney's hair.

"You're the genius in the family," Noah joked. "I thought you would've figured this out. Think about it. He's been our manager for years now, going wherever we go. I can tell by how he looks at us."

Sydney smiled and wordlessly raised his arms above his head. Noah let out a sigh through his nose before placing his hands under Sydney's armpits lifting him into the air and balancing him on his hip. Sydney wrapped his arms around his brother's neck and rested his head on his shoulder as Noah carried him out into the living room.

"It's about time," Robert growled once he spotted Noah. He and Ronan were sitting on the couch and Riley, Rhuben, and Patrick were sitting on the coffee table facing them. Noah quietly sat down, shifting Sydney to his lap.

"What's wrong?" Rhuben asked, peering at the faces of the two men in front of her.

She had her attention focused on Ronan. Ronan cleared his throat, glancing at Robert, who was giving him a hard stare. Ronan was easily intimidated by their father. In fact, ever since they met, Ronan doesn't really know a time where Robert ever smiled.

"Before I say anything," Ronan said wiping his hands on his jeans. He leaned forward in his seat and looked each of the Jacksons in the eye. "You've gotta know that I'm very proud of each and every one of you." He cleared his throat again and let out a heavy sigh, shifting his gaze to the floor.

"Would you spit it out?" Riley demanded, shifting with uneasiness.

Patrick was biting his thumbnail. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Rhuben continuously glanced back and forth from her dad to her manager, twisting her fingers in her lap. The look on Sydney's face showed that he was dreading what Ronan was going to say and looked like he could cry at any second. Noah was the only one with a curious look on his face. He had his head tilted to the side, resting his cheek on top of Sydney's head. He waited patiently for Ronan to tell them whatever it is he had to say.

'_It must be bad_,' Noah thought, quietly waiting for Ronan to talk. '_I've never seen him at a loss of words before_."

Robert let out a noise of annoyance. "Well if _you're_ not going to say it," Robert snapped, causing Ronan to flinch slightly. "We don't feel as if you're putting your all into your music. You've been slipping since that new boy band of Gustavo's got here." He stared pointedly at Riley and Rhuben. "Hanging around with boys like that ruins your concentration."

"What are you-"Riley gently squeezed Patrick's knee, causing him to fall silent. He turned and gave his older sister a confused look and saw her slowly shaking her head, her eyes on their dad.

"This took us a while to come to a decision," Robert said straightening his tie. He glanced sideways at Ronan who was still staring down at his hands. "But, we've decided that it would be best for you to go back to Australia and continue your music career there."

"_WHAT_?!" Riley, Rhuben, Patrick, and Noah shouted in unison.

All five of them starting shouting their protests at once, getting louder and louder to be heard over each other. You could hear cries of 'That's not fair!', 'We haven't been doing anything wrong!', 'We've been working hard. Why is it so bad to have a few friends', and 'I hate you' coming out of their mouths. Robert put up his hands for silence and everyone immediately fell quiet.

"You're coming with us, aren't you Ronan?" Sydney asked quietly, wiping his tear streaked cheeks. Ronan looked up at him with his green eyes. "You'll still be our manager? Our music producer?"

"…No," Ronan replied shaking his head. "Your dad will cover all of those. But, I'm staying here with my work."

"_We're_ your work," Rhuben snapped, her blue eyes flashing angrily. "Ronan, you don't believe that we've been slacking."

"You know I don't believe that," Ronan shot his head up, ignoring the look of anger on Robert's face. "Your father is just looking our for you an dhe thinks this is the best thing for you guys right now. I tried to fight his decision, but ultimately, it was up to him.

The Jacksons stayed silent as it all sunk in. They visibly deflated in front of Robert and Ronan. Sydney was openly crying (showing how sensitive he really was) and had buried his face into Noah's neck, gripping his shirt tightly as Noah gently rocked him, whispering soothing words in his ear to calm both of them down. Rhuben used her right hand was gently running up and down Noah's right arm as her left hand gently massaged the nape of his neck. Patrick had his face in his hands, slowly shaking his head back and forth. Riley had her arms around him, resting her head on top of his.

Riley was the one brave enough to ask the most feared question: "When do we leave?"

"In a month or a month and a half," Robert said getting to his feet. He clapped his hands together and smiled. "We have a lot of work to do in those two weeks." He let out a happy sigh before leaving the apartment.

"We should tell the guys," Patrick suggested getting to his feet. "They'd want to know."

"We just got reunited with Logie and we have to leave him again," Riley muttered shaking her head. "Why don't we just quit?"

Everyone turned and gave her a look as if they couldn't believe those words just came out of her mouth.

"You mean, just drop everything and live a normal life?" Rhuben asked. "Whatever that is. We've never had a normal life, we can't just quit now."

"Why not?" Riley demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because you love what you do," Ronan explained getting to his feet, giving all of them an attempt at a smile. "I've seen you grow up with music. You wouldn't have a life without it."

"There's a difference between loving what we do and being forced to love what we do," Riley replied, her stubbornness kicking in.

"Ronan, can't you do something?" Sydney whined, wiping his tears.

"I'm doing the best I can," Ronan groaned running his fingers through his dark hair. "Your dad isn't the type of person that'll listen to reason. But, I swear to you, I'm trying. I really am."

"We believe you, Ronan, don't worry," Noah reassured him with a small smile. "Let's go find everyone."

"I don't want to leave," was the last words that Ronan heard from Sydney's mouth as the five of them left their apartment. Ronan collapsed onto the couch, putting an arm over his eyes, letting out a shaky breath.

He, too, felt like crying.

* * *

The boys of Big Time Rush had just returned to the Palm Woods. They were trying to sneak the puppy (which is still nameless) into the pool area of the Palm Woods without anyone noticing.

"You guys, this is not going to work," Logan said a look of annoyance on his face. "How are we going to get the puppy in there if everybody always hangs out there?"

"Katie," Kendall snapped his fingers. "Go in and check how many people are there."

"Got it," Katie nodded but stood still in her place. Kendall blinked and stared back at her.

"Aren't you going to go?" he asked. A smug look crossed Katie's face as she held out a hand. Kendall grumbled under his breath before slapping a five dollar bill into her hand.

"_And _I get to name the puppy," she gave the boys a sweet smile.

Immediately, the four of them started yelling at her, shouting things like, 'That's so not fair', 'That's a bribe', and 'But, _I _wanted to name the puppy!' Kendall made a frustrated noise before stomping his foot, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes. "But, hurry up."

Katie grinned, sliding the dollar bill into her pocket, opening the gate to the side entrance of the pool deck. She quietly army crawled through the gate and looked around. The only people there was the man who worked at the smoothie cart, Camille who was reading a magazine, Guitar Dude who was playing random chords on the guitar, and the towel boy.

"I think we're good," Katie hissed, opening the door wider. She raised her eyebrows when her brother and his friends shuffled into the pool deck, their backs pressed against each other, their arms behind their backs. "Alright come on. And act natural."

She slowly lead the way over towards the doors of the Palm Woods, continuously swinging her head back and forth to make sure the coast was clear. She could hear the boys behind her, arguing with each other under their breaths about whoever was walking too fast or too slow and fought the urge to chew them out.

"Ok, we're almost there," Katie said as they neared the doors.

"Hey guys," Camille greeted them as she walked over. "Where've you been all day?"

"Shopping," Katie replied at the same time as Carlos shouted, "We have nothing to hide." This comment got him elbows in the sides and back from his friends. He screamed in pain and glared at his friends.

"Ok," Camille slowly replied, confused about their odd behavior. "So, what'd you buy?"

"Sunglasses," Katie replied.

"And ice cream," Kendall added.

"I didn't have anything to do today, why didn't you invite me?" Camille asked. "it would've been fun. You guys also need an-a-a-ACHOO!"

Camille bent forward and let out a loud sneeze, causing them to jump. She opened her mouth to start talking and sneezed again.

"Uh, are you ok?" Katie asked as she signaled for the boys to slowly start backing towards the doors to the Palm Woods.

"Yeah, I'm ok I guess," Camille said before sneezing again. "That's weird. I never sneeze this much unless I'm around a dog."

"Really?" Katie asked her smile wilting slightly. "Huh, that is funny. Well, we'll see you later. You should go blow your nose or something." She pushed the boys into the lobby of the Palm Woods, smiling and waving at Camille as she did so. "Whew, we made it."

"No thanks to Carlos," James snapped. "You almost blew it man."

"Almost blew what?"

They all let out a loud scream at the voice that came out of nowhere. They blinked and grinned nervously at the Jacksons as they walked up to them.

"Almost blew what?" Noah repeated, setting Sydney down on the floor.

"Recording," Kendall laughed and looked at them over his shoulder. "Gustavo gets annoyed with us at the slightest things now."

"He's kind of been more irritable ever since your dad came to talk to us," James agreed.

"Yeah, our dad has that affect on people," Patrick rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked suddenly, his eyes squinted as he glanced at the Jackson in turn. "What's bothering you?"

"How could you tell something was bothering us?" Riley asked ,raising an eyebrow, not bothering to deny that anything was wrong, like she normally would. Logan smirked.

"I'm not your best friend for nothing," he explained. "For as long as I've known you, I could easily tell there's something wrong."

The Jackson exchanged glances, silently conversing with each other. Katie had noticed that they weren't their lively self. Sure, whenever they were with their dad they were more subdued, but whenever they were with their manager Ronan, or just hanging out with each other or Big Time Rush, they were always happy and talking and joking with each other. Rhuben gave Riley a questioning look and she nodded in return.

"We have some bad news," Rhuben replied slowly as if she were choosing her words carefully.

"What kind of bad news?" Katie asked afraid to hear the answer. Patrick bit his lip."Come on, it can't be that bad."

He let out a heavy sigh, hanging his head. He sucked in a breath before lifting his head and looking them in the eye. "We're moving back to Australia,"

"WHAT?!"

Kendall and James scrambled to face the Jacksons as Logan and Carlos dropped their arms. Katie gasped, a hand flying over her mouth, as the puppy hit the floor, let out a whimper, and started running around, sliding on the floor. Carlos reached down to grab the puppy but he backed away, tripping on his leash and its own paws in a mad dash to scramble away.

"What is that? Is that a dog?"

They all gasped and looked around to see Bitters and Robert walking over to them. The puppy looked over in their direction and started running over, knocking the boys over as the puppy weaved through their legs. Patrick and Noah dove forward and scrambled after the trailing leash, missing it by seconds. The puppy ran over to Robert and sniffed his shoe. Robert forced a smile to his face and bent down to pet it when it lifted its leg and peed on his shows.

"Whose puppy is this?" Bitters demanded as he grabbed onto the leash, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whose ever it is, they're going to be kicked out."

"You guys know pets are against the rules here," Rhuben hissed. "Why'd you bring one?"

"You don't understand," Kendall shook his head. "He's for you. You guys haven't been yourselves so we thought this would cheer you up."

"Whose dog is this?" Bitters repeated.

"Um, you see," Logan tried to explain everything that happened under the angry gaze of Bitters and Robert Jackson. "The dog is, um, well, the dog is-"

"He's ours," Patrick and Noah replied in unison. Robert's eyes widened. "We went out and bought him today. We're going back to Australia anyway so he won't be here long."

"You're leaving?" Bitters asked, his eyes widening. He then cleared his throat. "Well, in that case, since you guys have been bringing us a lot of publicity and because your father is such a hard worker, you may keep him here until you leave. Now, what's his name?"

"Name?" Riley repeated stalling for time. "As in, what you call people?"

"Yes, what's the name of this…mutt?" Robert asked through clenched teeth.

"Roxas," Sydney replied with a shrug and a small smile.

"Well, Robert, if you would step this way so we can figure out where the puppy will be staying," Bitters started pulling Robert towards his office. Robert glared at his kids over his shoulder.

"Thanks," Kendall sighed. "I don't know how my mom would react if she found out that we had to find another place to live."

"Did you borrow her tennis shoes today too?" Katie asked glancing down at the white shoes on Kendall's feet. He blushed but nodded slowly. "You're going to have to explain to her the dog pee in them too."

Kendall looked down at his shoes and let out a groan when he saw the yellow tint to it. His head shot up when he heard a small laugh. Riley had a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking. The rest of the Jacksons fought the smiles that were slowly sliding across their faces. They were soon doubled over, laughing hysterically,

"At least we cheered them up," Katie said with a smile as she shook her head in amusement.

"Yeah, but how long will they be happy for?" James asked the others. "And when do they leave? More importantly, why do they act so weird around their dad?"

* * *

**A/N: ****Do you think I should add Jo to this story? Is there anything specific you guys want to see? I'm open for any suggestions and I'm willing to put in whatever you guys want in this story. What was your favorite part? What should I work more on? Do you like how I have angst and humor in the same chapter and am I doing a good job with it? Most importantly:**

** BTRxromance or BTRxfriendship fic?We have a new poll up on our profile where you can vote for which one: If you want a BTRxFriencship fic or if you want a BTRxRomance fic and if that's what you want, which pairing do you want? So be sure to vote!!  
**


	9. Chapter 9: Big Time Concern

**9: **_Big Time Concern_

* * *

"Riles, are you awake?"

"I am now," Riley replied rolling over in her bed to face her sister. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and gave her sister a small glare. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah, it's 1:30," Rhuben replied with a shrug.

"And do you realize we have a photo shoot in the morning?" Riley ran her hands over her face.

"Please," Rhuben scoffed. "We've done a photo shoot after only 5 hours of sleep, I think you can handle this." Riley let out a heavy sigh and propped her head up on her hand.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"Well, aren't we cranky in the morning?" Rhuben rolled her eyes.

"Tell me or I'm going back to sleep," Riley yawned.

"Ok, ok," Rhuben made a face, staring up at the ceiling her hands behind her head. "Why don't we just leave?"

"I'm not going back to Australia," Riley gritted her teeth. "I don't care what it takes, I'm staying here."

"That's not what I meant," Rhuben rolled her eyes. She bit her lip before continuing with her explanation. "Why don't we just pack up and leave dad? We'll be fine, we've been taking care of Patrick, Noah, and Sydney for all of our lives, I think we could do it by ourselves."

"Well, I can't say I haven't been thinking about it myself," Riley admitted. She let out a bitter laugh. "I've thought up of many plans that could get us out of here, but you know dad. He would do anything to find us and take us home. Then he'd most likely-"

"Kill us, yeah," Rhuben agreed. "We could go live with Ronan."

"First place he'd look," Riley shook her head. "I'll think of something and get back to you."

"Ok, I know that you're the 'undecided leader' and everything, but you don't have to do all of this by yourself," Rhuben said fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm only five minutes younger than you and Patrick and Noah are getting older. They can take care of themselves and look after Sydney too."

"Yeah, I know," Riley replied rolling back onto her other side so her back was facing her twin. "But, it's my job. I _am_ the oldest after all."

"Whatever."

'_I _will _get us out of here and to a safe place_,' Riley thought as she drifted off to sleep. '_You'll see. We'll be one happy family in no time_.'

* * *

Ever since the Jacksons dropped the bomb on Big Time Rush about moving back to Australia, they tried to avoid the topic all together. They've been spending every waking moment together (with Camille and Katie) hanging out at the Palm Woods or at the beach, or walking around town ever since. Which was pretty hard to do anyway because of their hectic work schedules and the fact that the Jacksons had to sneak behind their father's back just to hang out with them. They also had a lot of homework to do from school.

They've even gone as far as declaring that Friday nights were move nights. They all crowded into the Knight apartment to watch a movie depending on whose turn it was to pick. They also had time set aside for the girls to hang out without the guys being around and in Riley and Rhuben's case, without having the responsibility of having to look after their brothers for a few hours. Plus, it gave Camille, Katie, Riley, and Rhuben time to gossip. Riley, Rhuben, and Logan also have a day set aside where they can just hang out like they did when they were younger.

The more they spent time together, the closer they got. In fact, Kendall has taken on the role of being another big brother to Sydney. Whenever his siblings are too tired to look after him Kendall always happily takes the spot to entertain him. Patrick and Noah have also gotten closer to Carlos and James. Carlos is there as another person to goof off with and James is more or less the person that teaches them how to keep their appearance nice and neat. Much to Noah's annoyance, Patrick has also been more obsessed with his hair and how perfect it has to be.

The Jacksons have been in the apartment and been around Mrs. Knight long enough that they've started to call her "Momma Knight" all the time because she was a mother figure to them. They're sp comfortable being around each other that they could just walk into each other's apartment and it wouldn't be weird to them.

"Hey guys," Rhuben greeted as she walked into apartment 2J, sliding a key into her pocket. She had her other hand wrapped around a leash that Roxas was pulling on and a backpack on her back.

"Hey, Bella," Logan greeted his friend with a hug and a smile.

"Puppy!" Carlos shouted and ran over to Roxas, getting on his knees to pet the puppy. Roxas let out a squeak of alarm and scrambled to hide behind Rhuben's legs.

"Yeah, he's still skittish," Rhuben commented untangling her legs from the leash. "By the way, you chose a great name for him, Katie."

"No problem," Katie replied from the kitchen table.

"Yeah, why'd you name him Roxas anyway?" Carlos asked, looking up at her. Katie scoffed.

"Apparently you've never played Kingdom Hearts," she commented. "You have no life if you've never played Kingdom Hearts."

Rhuben chuckled as she shifted her backpack on her back. "Is James here?"

"Yeah, hold on a minute," Logan said before disappearing into one of the bedrooms. He reappeared seconds later with James following behind him.

"Hi," James greeted shouldering his backpack. "I'm ready to go."

"Where are you going?" Kendall asked finally addressing the fact that Rhuben was there. He was lying down on the couch watching a hockey game.

"Yeah, where are you going?" Logan asked a curious look on his face.

"Down to the pool deck," Rhuben shrugged in reply. "Do you guys mind if I leave Roxas here?"

"Of course not," Carlos smiled happily as Rhuben unclipped the leash and handed it to Katie.

"You have to keep a close eye on him," Rhuben warned. "He likes to chew stuff that isn't actually food and he's not really potty trained yet. You can tell whenever he has to go cause he does this odd butt shaking thing. Just stick him in the bathtub or something because you won't make it all the way outside before he actually goes. We learned that the hard way."

"I bet your dad wasn't too happy about that," Logan commented.

"Nope," Rhuben agreed. "He's already peed on one pair of shoes and chewed up two other pairs." She shrugged before turning to James. "You ready?"

"Yeah, let's go," James nodded as Rhuben opened the apartment door and headed outside.

James pulled a can of Cuda man spray out of his pocket (Kendall made sure he wasn't allergic to this one) and sprayed his face before grinning at his friends and following her out of the apartment.

"Has anybody noticed how much time they spend together lately?" Logan asked as soon as the door closed. He sat down next to Carlos, his legs crossed.

"Are you jealous?" Katie asked raising her eyebrows as she set the leash down on the table. She pulled her Nintendo DS out of her pocket and turned it on.

"No, of course not," Logan shook his head.

"It sounds like you're jealous to me, Logie," Kendall laughed throwing a pillow at his friend's head.

"I don't blame you though. Riley and Rhuben are really pretty," Carlos said with a shrug. Logan snapped his head up to give his friend a look. "No not pretty. They're hot."

"Hey, that's my best friends you're talking about," Logan said with a mock warning tone.

Katie rolled her eyes, used to the fact that her brother and his friends were interested in girls. She couldn't help but notice, and always tease them, that they never had any success with dating someone of the opposite sex. Well, James was just a girl magnet with his perfect hair and face, but Logan was always way too shy to talk to girls, Carlos always tried to act like someone he's not and Kendell more or less just had bad luck.

"Good luck getting a date with them," she commented giving Kendall a teasing smirk.

"Guys, not in front of my b-a-b-y s-i-s-t-e-r," Kendall said in a stage whispered.

"I can spell ya doughnut," Katie stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yeah, you are pretty smart for a girl your age," Kendall agreed enjoying how his sister was reacting to his teasing. "But are you smart enough to realize that two boys like you?"

"Who?" Katie asked slowly giving Kendall a suspicious look.

"Patrick and Noah," Kendall automatically replied. "They both like you."

"No they don't," Katie shook hear head.

"Katie, we're guys," Carlos laughed. "I think we'd know if a guy liked you."

"Not only that, but I'm a genius," Logan smiled, tapping his temple. "I could figure it out pretty easily."

"So what do you guys want to do today?" Katie asked quickly changing the subject.

"I have to go meet Riley in about twenty minutes," Kendall said getting to his feet. "She's showing me around Blazing Phoenix Records and showing me a little bit of what they've been working on. We're also going to jam for a little bit." He grabbed the apartment key off the counter and ruffled Katie's hair on the way out the door. "So, I'll see you guys later."

"Yeah, later," Katie muttered, slouching in her seat as the door closed behind her older brother. "He always wants to spend time with her now."

"Are you ok, Katie?" Logan gently asked seeing the sad look on her face.

"Kendall _is_ spending a lot of time with Riley lately," Carlos agreed as he scratched Roxas' belly. "Are you feeling left out?"

"No," Katie snapped before stomping into her room.

Logan and Carlos exchanged glances and winced as they heard Katie slam her bedroom door shut.

"At least the pi-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Logan slowly shook his head.

* * *

"So then X is either -5 or positive 5," Rhuben said pointing to a problem in James' math brook with her pen.

"Because of the square root sign?" James asked tentatively.

"Yes, exactly," Rhuben smiled and patted James on the shoulder. "I think you're really getting the hang of this Algebra stuff now."

"Well, it helps that I have a great tutor," James gave Rhuben a charming smile.

"Thanks, but all you really need to do is concentrate, that's your only problem," Rhuben responded with a shrug. She then gave him a teasing smile. "And seeing as how you're in a class with the Jennifers I can see how that would be a problem."

"You can't blame me, I am a guy after all," James stretched his arms over his head. "A good looking one at that."

"You are so self-centered," Rhuben laughed.

"Eh, sometimes," James didn't even bother denying it. "So, how does the whole home schooling thing work?"

"It's not a lot of fun," Rhuben replied as she packed up her stuff. "We're stuck in our apartment for four hours. For one our, dad teaches Riley and me, the next hour is Patrick and Noah, and the third hour is Sydney. Once your lesson is done, you have to do homework or study or take tests and quizzes. Occasionally dad goes down to talk to Miss Collins and see if we're ahead, behind, or right along with you guys. Right after school we go to work and try to spend as much time with you guys as possible."

"You don't sound like you lke your dad," James commented.

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't like your dad either if he pretty much makes it that you have no friends," Rhuben said rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "He's always intimidating, I don't think he knows how to be peaceful. He pretty much said that we couldn't be friends with you guys. But you guys are the first friends we've had in a while and we feel safe around you guys."

"Safe?" James asked, his eyebrows knitted together. Rhuben blinked and scratched her forehead, turning her head away.

'_Damn it. Way to let that slip, Rhuben_,' she thought beating herself up. James was watching her, waiting for her to respond. Rhuben briefly glanced at him. '_What's that look he's giving me?_'

"We can be ourselves around you," Rhuben slowly replied choosing her words carefully. "We don't have to act like something we're not."

"Well, well, well, doesn't this look cozy."

Rhuben jumped in her seat as Robert walked up to the two of them, his hands behind his back. James glanced from Robert to Rhuben and saw that she refused to even look at her dad.

"Hey, daddy," Rhuben greeted him. "You remember James."

"James," Robert gave James a short nod and offered his hand. James gave Robert a small smile and shook his hand, trying not to wince as Robert tightly squeezed his hand.

"How are you sir?" James asked politely.

Robert let out a heavy sigh and placed his hand on RHuben's shoulder. To James it looked like an affectionate squeeze, but Rhuben was trying not to wince in pain as Robert's fingernails dug into her skin. Robert chose not to answer James and turned to Rhuben.

"I thought I told you not to hang around Gustavo's boy band," Robert quickly glanced at James.

"I'm tutoring him in math," Rhuben muttered, showing her dad her math book. "He was having some trouble so I decided to help out." Robert clicked his tongue before straightening.

"You're not dating my daughter are you?" Robert asked turning his attention back to James. He blinked in surprise.

"No, Mr. Jackson, I'm not," James replied. "I do think your daughter is really pretty, but we're just friends. I promise."

"You better be sure about that," Robert gave a small smile. "I only want the best for my daughter." He then turned back to Rhuben. "Be back in the apartment in five minutes, sweetie."

"Sure, dad," Rhuben ran a hand through her hair. Robert gave James another nod before heading inside the Palm Woods. He didn't take his eyes off James as he went.

"Your dad is really creepy," James muttered. "I think he scares me even more than Gustavo's threats."

Rhuben chuckled, "Yeah, tell me about it. You don't have to live with it everyday."

"I hope you don't get grounded or anything," James said getting to his feet and he gave Rhuben a hug. She shouldered her back and let out a heavy sigh staring at her feet.

'_Being grounded is the least of my worries_,' she thought. Instead she said, "Yeah, me too. I'll see you later. Same time tomorrow?"

"I have rehearsal tomorrow," James said scratching the back of his head. "I'll get back to you."

Rhuben gave a small wave and went inside the Palm Woods, staring at her shoes. James watched as she nearly bumped into Camille. Camille said something to her, a smile on her face. Rhuben just glanced at her and hurried off, leaving Camille with a confused look on her face. She spotted James and walked over to him.

"Hey, do you know what's wrong with her?" Camille asked her thumb pointed behind her. "All of the Jacksons have been acting pretty weird. I thought they were happier with the new puppy."

"I don't think they'll be happy as long as they're being managed by their father," James commented. "He's pushing them way too hard to be successful in everything."

"That's gotta suck," Camille commented.

"Tell me about it."

* * *

"Hey, Katie," Noah greeted his friend as he walked into her apartment. Katie was sitting on the floor, scratching Roxas' back as he slept on the floor beside her. He looked around, his eyebrows furrowed when he noticed that she was the only one there. "Where is everybody?"

"Out somewhere," she replied and then looked up at him. "Where's Patrick? Aren't you always with him?"

"He's the only one that has to record today," Noah shrugged sitting down across from her. He peered at her, tilting his head to the side. "What's wrong?"

"How'd you know something was wrong?" Katie asked slowly, raising her eyebrows.

"I can read people," Noah shrugged. "Seriously? I've been around Rhuben so much that I can easily distinguish her mannerisms if something's bother her or not. In your case, you're not your usually bubbly conniving self."

"Impressive," Katie smiled. "I'm just lonely I guess."

"Why?" Noah asked, raising his eyebrows. "You have Patrick, me, Sydney, my sisters, Camille, Kendall-"

"Kendall's the problem," Katie sighed rubbing her forehead. "He doesn't spend time with me anymore. He's always with his friends or out with-"

"Riley," Noah nodded. "Yeah, they _have_ been spending a lot of time together."

"Are they-"

"Dating?" Noah cut her off again. He shook her head. "No, you'd be able to tell." A small smirk crossed his face when he saw the somewhat shocked look on Katie's face. "I can read minds too."

"That's good to know," Katie laughed.

"Patrick's been…off too," Noah sighed. "Don't get me wrong I love having him around all the time. But, he's been depressed lately because Riley's always hanging out with Kendall and their not spending a lot of time together anymore."

"We're friends right?" Katie asked after a moment of silence.

"Yep," Noah replied with a nod. "Even though we don't really know each other because you've only been here for about 2 months now, I'd still say we're best friends."

"So, you won't get upset when I ask you this and you'll tell me the truth?" Katie pressed.

"I'll tell you what," Noah brushed his hair out of his face. "I'll tell you the truth if I can, if not, I won't say anything at all." Katie slowly nodded. "Ask away."

"Why do you hate your dad?"

Noah blinked, momentarily surprised by the question. Katie waited patiently for the answer. "Because he's a jerk," he replied simply. "Not everybody gets along with their dad. We fight a lot."

"Why?" Katie watched as Roxas got to his feet, blinking and letting out a yawn as he woke up.

"He pushes us too hard," Noah explained with a heavy sigh. "Singing, dancing, playing our instruments, school, you name it. He wants us to be perfect in everything he doesn't realize it's just hurting us. He doesn't realize that we're not happy with it."

"Well, if you hate it that much you could quit and spend all day with me," Katie suggested. Noah laughed through his nose.

"While that suggestion is really tempting I love what I do way too much to quit," Noah explained scratching the back of his head. Seeing the confused look he rushed on. "To quote Riles, 'There's a difference between loving what you do and being forced to love what you do'. My dad forces me to love what I do, but whenever Ronan is working with us I genuinely love my job. Mainly because I love my fans and I love working with my siblings. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Which is why I don't want to move back home."

"What is Australia like?" Katie asked.

"In a word?" Noah asked, using his thick accent, causing Katie to laugh. "Beautiful."

Katie bowed her head when she realized he was staring straight at her as he described the continent. She felt her cheeks heat up and realized with shock that she was blushing. '_Maybe Kendall was right. Maybe he does like me_.'

An awkward silence fell over the two of them.

"You're really jealous of Riles aren't you?" Noah suddenly switched topics. "You're jealous that she's spending a lot of time with Kendall."

"We don't hang out anymore," Katie complained. "We used to do a lot together back in Minnesota. Sometimes he would turn James, Carlos, and Logan down just to stay at home and watch movies with me. Then we came out here and he's changed."

"LA does change people, Katie," Noah said as he lifted Roxas into his lap. "Kendall will come around. He'll see what he's missing."

The two of them jumped when they heard loud banging on the front door. Noah let out a noise as he scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide.

"Who is that?" Katie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My dad," Noah replied looking around the room.

"How do you know?" Katie asked grabbing onto his arm as the pounding came again.

"There's only one person I know that knocks on a door like that," Noah replied as he spotted the closet. "I'm not really supposed to be hanging out with you guys. I'm not here, ok?" He put Roxas down on the floor before rushing towards the front door and hiding in the closet.

Katie let out a heavy sigh and put on a brave face before crossing the room to the front door and opening it. She reached down and grabbed Roxas as he tried to wiggle out the door.

"May I help you, Mr. Jackson?" she asked tilting her head to the side.

"Are my kids here?" Robert asked quickly glancing around the apartment. Katie had never seen him look so mad before. He looked like he could hit anything at any moment.

Then it all clicked together.

"You can try the pool deck," Katie suggested. "I've been here by myself for a while, looking after your dog."

"Thanks," Robert muttered before striding off. Katie let out a low whistle as she closed the front door. She set Roxas down on the floor and opened the closet door. She blinked when she didn't see Noah.

"Up here."

Katie looked up and saw Noah spread-eagle, holding himself up at the ceiling of the closet. He dropped to the ground, easily landing on his feet.

"I just have one more question for you," Katie warned. Noah raised his eyebrows, waiting. "Does your dad hit you?"

A series of looks crossed Noah's face: fear, anger, and sadness crossed his face before a look of guilt set in.

"He does doesn't he?" Katie asked, a hand covering her mouth. Noah stayed quiet, watching her reaction. "That explains so much now. Why you hate him, why you try and spend as much time as possible with us, why've you've been acting so weird. That's where Sydney got that bruise."

"Please," Noah whispered, his voice shaking. "You can't tell anyone." He grabbed onto Katie's shoulders and gently shook her. "Please."

"I have to," Katie pulled from his grasp. "You're in trouble."

"No, no, we can handle this," Noah sounded hysterical as he started pacing. "W-we've been handling this for years. We're fine. Just fine."

"Noah, I have to tell," Katie repeated.

"No, you can't!" Noah whirled around to face her. "Please. Please. You're my best friend. You _can't _tell. Promise me you won't tell."

Katie looked into his eyes, suddenly noticing that his eyes showed how fast he grew over the years and how much he had to emotionally grow up. "Alright," she muttered. "I promise."

* * *

**A/N: ****Do you think I should add Jo to this story? Is there anything specific you guys want to see? I'm open for any suggestions and I'm willing to put in whatever you guys want in this story. What was your favorite part? What should I work more on? Do you like how I have angst and humor in the same chapter and am I doing a good job with it? Most importantly:**

** BTRxromance or BTRxfriendship fic?We have a new poll up on our profile where you can vote for which one: If you want a BTRxFriencship fic or if you want a BTRxRomance fic and if that's what you want, which pairing do you want? So be sure to vote!!**

**-Rhuben  
**


	10. Chapter 10: Big Time Surprise

**A/N: This is the longest chapter so far. 20 pages in Microsoft Word. Hope you like it. I've tried to put humor and drama into this chapter. I was thinking of making this a two part chapter, but I realized that I just couldn't do that so its one long one.  
**

* * *

**10: **_Big Time Surprise_

* * *

Kendall noticed that Katie had been acting differently ever since Noah made her promise not to tell anyone their secret. He hasn't figured out what was wrong with her and he felt as if their bond wasn't as close as it was before because they used to share everything and now she hardly talked to him. He couldn't help but wonder what was bothering her and he was even more worried if it was something that he did to make her act that way.

The boys of Big Time Rush were sitting on lawn chairs around the pool, just lying back and soaking up the sun's rays. Logan was trying to get James to tell him why he and Rhuben have been spending so much time together, James was in turn was wondering why Logan was jealous about them spending time together, while Carlos was trying to drink a medium smoothie in under two minutes without getting a brain freeze.

Kendall sat up to tell his friends what was on his mind, but a hand slapped him across the face before he could.

"How could you?" Camille shouted at him, her hair down, flowing around her face. "How could you get her pregnant while you were going out with me? I thought we had something special. She's my best friend!"

"_Secret Life of the American Teenager_?" Kendall asked rubbing his cheek.

"Did you think it was convincing?" Camille asked brightly sitting down on the edge of Logan's chair.

"Yeah," Kendall agreed rotating his jaw. "_Really_, convincing. Just like all your other monologues."

"I'm auditioning later today," Camille gave a bright smile. "I can't wait."

"Camille, have you ever landed a role?" Logan asked sitting up in his chair.

"No," Camille shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. "It doesn't bother me that much either. I know I'm doing the best I can. Can't imagine why they don't hire me though."

"I could give you one reason why," James muttered under his breath getting an elbow to the ribs from Logan.

"There, done!" Carlos shouted, throwing down the cup of smoothie. "How long was that?"

"5 minutes," Logan said glancing at his watch. "It's impossible to do that without getting a brain freeze, Carlos."

"Just watch me," Carlos replied, his eyes squeezed shut, hands applying pressure to his head. "Just watch me."

"Hey," Camille gently pushed Kendall's knee. "What's the matter? You haven't been planning anything devious. Something's wrong."

"What's wrong with Katie?" Kendall asked after a moment of silence turning to face Camille. "You're her friend, has she told you if anything was bothering her?"

"Sorry, but I don't know anything," Camille shrugged. A worried look crossed her face. "You're really concerned aren't you?"

"I'm her brother, I have to be concerned," Kendall replied.

"How do you know something's bothering her?" Camille raised an eyebrow. "Did she say something's bothering her?"

"I can just tell," Kendall replied. "For example, she hasn't been gambling for money recently."

"I don't know what else to tell ya, Kendall," Camille rested her hand on Kendall's knee and gently squeezed it. "If something's bothering her and she's not telling you, maybe she just doesn't want you to know. At least not right now. But if you two are as close as you say you are, then she'll tell you eventually, you just have to wait."

"You know, you're really smart," Logan commented.

"Stuff like this happen in all the tv shows," Camille waved her hand in the air before beaming at Logan. "But, thanks for the compliment, Logan."

"No problem," Logan said with a nod and a cautious look on his face.

"DOGS! STUDIO! NOW!"

"Wow, Gustavo is getting really good at yelling," Carlos commented. "That one caused the ground to shake a little bit."

"I suggest you guys go before he causes another earthquake," Camille suggested with a small laugh. "I'll see you guys later. Good luck with studio work today."

"Thanks, Camille," the boys chorused getting to their feet. They waved goodbye to the actress before walking the short walk over to Rocque Records.

As soon as they set foot into the building, Gustavo's new enforcer Freight Train, pulled/dragged the boys into Gustavo's office, forcing them down into a chair.

"We're about a week and a half behind schedule," Gustavo announced, clearly annoyed as he drummed his fingers on his desk.

"With all of the meetings Griffin has suddenly brought up, we've had to rearrange our schedule," Kelly added. "So, it's now crunch time with you guys. You should have your demo done by the end of this month, but you only have four songs worked out."

"Well, Riley and I have been writing a few songs, could we do those?" Kendall suggested. "There's this great song we wrote called-"

"I don't _care_ what it's called," Gustavo loudly interrupted him. "And we're not using songs from our rival."

"Rival?" Big Time Rush repeated.

"Yes, rival," Gustavo tightly replied. "Anybody else in the music industry is our rival."

"Why can't we just all be friends and get along?" Kendall asked cocking an eyebrow.

"I don't make friends, I make music!" Gustavo shouted, slapping his hands down on the table. "Now, what time is it?"

"Girl time?" Carlos asked with a shrug.

"NO!" Gustavo snapped over his shoulder as he stormed out of the room. "It's crunch time! Let's move out!"

"Kelly, does Gustavo have any friends at all?" James asked turning to Gustavo's assistant.

"Not really," Kelly replied with a sigh. "Have you noticed he's been even more angry today?"

"It all kinda blends in with each other at one point," Logan said grabbing his head. "I don't remember a day where my ears didn't ring."

"If you've been working with him for as long as I've been, you can tell the difference," Kelly said with a small laugh.

"So what makes today any different?" James asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"Today's his birthday," Kelly replied as she headed out of the office.

Big Time Rush grouped together as they trailed behind Kelly talking quietly to each other.

"We've got to do something," Kendall whispered.

"Why? All he's done is yell at us," Carlos rolled his eyes.

"He's made my dream come true," James gushed smiling up at the ceiling. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

"Come on, it's the man's birthday," Logan ran his fingers through his hair. "No one should feel alone on their birthday. I'm with Kendall on this one."

"Alright, alright," Carlos agreed. "I'm in too."

"What's the plan Kendall?" James asked turning to his friend.

"First thing we're going to do is sing," Kendall said a glint in his eye, "We're going to do everything Gustavo tells us without question or complaint to throw him off."

"Throw him off what?" Logan pressed.

"The birthday party we're going to throw him," Kendall said with a grin on his face. "But, we're going to need help with this. A lot of help."

* * *

The Jacksons groaned as they laid on the floor to the dance studio, gasping for breath. Robert walked around them, nudging them to their feet with a swift kick to the side. Ronan bit his lip as he watched, wanting to confront Robert to stop but also intimidated by the man at the same time.

"Get up," Robert shouted. "Do it again!"

"We've done it five times already," Riley growled into the floor.

"What?" Robert demanded storming over to her.

"We've done it five times already," Riley snapped glaring up at him, brushing her hair out of her face.

"And you've done it _wrong_ five times," Robert insisted. "_Get up_! Do it again!"

"Can we get some water first?" Patrick asked, resting his arms on his knees as he sat down on the floor. The gel that he had in his hair to keep his spikes up had already been sweated out and his hair now hung down in his face.

"If you get it right this time then you can have a water break," Robert growled as he hauled his son to his feet.

"Hey, Rob, chill out," Ronan piped up. "They're only doing bad each time because they're tired." He willed himself not to flinch when Robert turned his icy glare over to the young man. "I understand you want this perfect, Robert, really, I do. But, you're pushing them too hard. They can barely stand."

"When I want your opinion I'll ask for it," Robert said clapping his hands together. "Again. Now." He jabbed his finger into the PLAY button on the boom box.

As the Jacksons sang and danced, Robert watched with a glare etched upon his face. Ronan kept shifting his gaze back and forth from the Jacksons to Robert, studying them. Ronan shifted his weight from foot to foot as he watched Sydney start to slow down. Of course with him being the youngest, he didn't have as much endurance as his brothers and sisters.

'_I've got to give him props for trying to keep up_,' Ronan thought, loosening his tie as the song came to a close.

As soon as the last beat of the song slammed to a stop, the Jackson fell to the floor once again, breathing heavily. Ronan jumped when Robert picked up the boombox he was sitting by and threw it against the floor. Patrick and Noah were leaning against each other, trying to sit straight up. Ronan couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears that were sliding down Sydney's cheeks. Riley and Rhuben were glaring off into space, refusing to look at their dad.

"That was pathetic!" Robert shouted. "Step it up! We can't have any mistakes!"

Rhuben let out a scream of frustration, slapping her hands down on the wooden floor. "Nothing we do will be perfect for you," she shouted before getting to her feet and storming to the side of the room to get her stuff.

"Just take the rest of the day off," Ronan said running his fingers through his hair. "Hey, you guys did a great job today. Really." He gave each of them a hug as they walked out, shouldering their bags.

"I didn't say you could leave," Robert shouted after them. Ronan put his hands on Robert's chest and pushed him back, stopping him from following his kids out the door. "I haven't dismissed you."

"I _have_ dismissed them," Ronan said sternly, closing the door behind the kids. "You're pushing them too hard."

"They need the discipline," Robert crossed his arms over his chest.

"They don't need to be run into the ground," Ronan shot back. "They won't do perfectly if they're tired all the time. They need breaks. You can't run them without giving them a water break or a few minutes to rest."

"In those few minutes they're missing deals that could change their music career for the better," Robert shouted.

"I don't think those people would be happy knowing how you train your kids," Ronan shouted back at him, surprising even himself. "You're pushing them to their death."

Robert moved forward, a look of fury on his face. His hands twitched at his sides. Robert brushed by him, striding to the door. "What? Aren't you going to hit me? You hit your kids whenever they do something wrong don't you?"

Robert froze before slowly turning around to face Ronan. He then slowly walked over to him and didn't stop until he was standing right in front of him. He looked down at Ronan, emphasizing their height difference, a smirk on his face.

"So you know my little secret," Robert chuckled. "It's made them work hard and be very successful because they listen to everything that I say."

"It's made them afraid, Robert," Ronan replied shaking his head. "It's made them live each day in fear because they don't know if they'll live to see the next day."

"Easiest way to keep them in line," Robert shrugged before turning around and heading towards the exit.

"Not if I have anything to so with it," Ronan muttered, shaking his head.

Ronan stared after him at a loss of words. He let out a groan of frustration, pulling at the ends of his hair. He slowly went around the room packing up his stuff. He grabbed a clipboard up off the floor and let out a sigh when he saw that he had a photo shoot scheduled for the day.

"How much longer can they put fake smiles on for?" Ronan asked shaking his head. "How long have they gone through this without my knowing? I could've done something sooner."

* * *

_The night is young_

_The line is out the door_

_Today was crazy but tonight the city's ours_

_Live it up until tomorrow comes_

_Today was crazy but tonight, the city is ours_

"How was that Gustavo?" Kendall asked a hopeful tilt in his voice.

"Amazingly dreadful," Gustavo snapped back in reply. "I'll give you a few minutes to recuperate and then we'll try again."

"Well," Kendall covered the microphone with his hand. "In 'Gustavo talk' I'd say we nailed that. But, I don't think we'll be able to make a demo with only four songs."

"You need to convince Gustavo to use the songs that you and Riles wrote together," Logan commented as he pulled his headphones off his head.

"I need to?" Kendall asked raising his eyebrows. "No, _we _need to. We're all in this together. Besides, if I'm going down, I'm taking you all with me."

"Guys, we have more important stuff to think about," James said trying to create piece. "Like making Gustavo happy."

"Easier said than done," Logan commented dryly as they exited the recording booth. They stopped short when they saw Kelly standing in front of them, arms crossed over her chest. "Hey, Kelly. You look lovely today."

"What's going on?" Kelly asked raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" James asked with a nervous chuckle.

"You guys are up to something," Kelly said slowly glancing from boy to boy a suspicious look on her face. "You better tell me now."

"We're not up to anything," Kelly reassured her.

"And if we were, how could you tell?" Carlos asked. James glanced at him before shoving him to the ground. Kendall spotted the Jacksons entering the room behind Kelly and Gustavo, Katie was with them. He motioned for them to wait before elbowing Logan in the side.

"You guys are just acting a little fidgety," Kelly remarked. "Even more than usual."

"Fidgety?" Logan repeated with a laugh. "Ha. Ha. No, we're not fidgety. It's just a lovely day don't you think?"

"Oh look, the Jacksons," Carlos loudly commented as he got up off the floor. "Let's go see what they want." The four of them quickly brushed by Kelly.

"Yeah, great way to act natural," Katie said with a smirk as the group stepped outside of the room.

"What happened to you?" Logan asked, doing a double take when he saw the bruise on the side of Rhuben's face. Kendall, Carlos, and James winced when they saw the bruise on her face. The Jacksons shifted uncomfortably and Noah refused to look at Katie, as she bit her lower lip. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Rhuben dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I just fell. So, what's the emergency and why do we have to act natural?"

"Ok, Gustavo has been even more ill tempered today," Kendall explained. "Today's his birthday so we-"

"We?" James, Carlos, and Logan asked in unison. Kendall rolled his eyes.

"Ok, _I _thought it would be a good idea to throw him a surprise birthday party to make him happy."

"Gustavo can be happy?" Patrick asked, tilting his head to the side. "Can his heart even function with that emotion?"

"If he shouts at you guys when he's feeling neutral about stuff, I'm kind of scared what'll happen if he's genuinely happy," Noah added with a worried look on his face.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Sydney asked raising his eyebrows. "Gustavo will eat you alive!"

"Yeah, and we're really busy today with a photo shoot and stuff," Rhuben added. "How are we going to have both our rehearsals, a photo shoot, go out and get decorations, bake a cake, _and _look after Roxas without anybody thinking something is going on?"

"I think I know how," Riley said tapping her chin, as a smile slowly spread across her face.

"I know that look," James said pointing a finger in Riley's face. "That's the same look Kendall gets whenever he has a plan." He then turned to see Kendall had the same look on his face. "Yeah, that's kind of scary."

"Riles, you can bake right?" Logan asked snapping his fingers.

"Yeah," Riley nodded. "Don't you remember? I made brownies for your birthday when you were seven. You ate so much of them, you threw up."

"They had those peanut butter chocolate chip things in them," Logan practically whined squirming under the gaze of everyone. "Anyway, we can cut down the time of having to go out and buy a cake. And we can get decorations here, there has to be a place where they have party decorations. There has to have been plenty of birthday parties here. How long will it take for you to make a cake?"

"Knowing Gustavo, he'll probably need two cakes," Carlos muttered. James turned his laugh into a cough while Katie tried to hide the smile that was on her face.

"If I work fast and can use the oven in your apartment, I could have them done in an hour," Riley said quickly mapping out how long it would take in her mind.

"Alright, Riles, you're in charge of baking," Logan said taking charge. Riley nodded and gave him a thumbs up as he continued down the line. "Patrick and Noah will go and look for decorations. Carlos and I will keep an eye on Gustavo and Kelly."

"Why am I always paired with you?" Carlos asked, stomping his foot in frustration.

"Because I need to keep an eye on you," Logan replied rolling his head to turn and give Carlos a stern look. "Your idea of a distraction mostly leads to my having to make up a story as to why your hockey stick is shoved into a place it shouldn't be."

"That was one time," Carlos shot back. Logan crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. Kendall, James, and Katie did the same. "Ok, 5 times. But, you're getting really good at lying on the spot."

"James, you and Kendall find a place to have the party and start putting up the decorations," Logan continued. Noah's eyebrows furrowed a little when he saw a depressed look quickly cross Katie's features. He cleared his throat and spoke up.

"James can help Rhuben and Sydney distract our dad, and Ronan, and look after Roxas, while Katie and Kendall set up the decorations," Noah suggested. "The two of them are good at being sneaky and all of Kendall's plans do work. Besides, if it wasn't for Katie you guys wouldn't have the swirly slide or the commercial shot in your room."

"Good point," Logan said with a nod. Noah caught Katie's eye and gave a small shy smile.

"Thank you," she mouthed.

"You're welcome," he mouthed back and winked at her. Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Noah looked up at Patrick to see his twin quickly turn his head away.

"Ok, so when should we have all this completed?" Logan asked turning to Kendall.

"Oh, is it my turn to be the leader now?" Kendall asked sarcastically, although he had a teasing smile on his face. "Um, as soon as possible. When's your guys' photo shoot?"

"Not until 3:30 it should only last for an hour," Rhuben said glancing at her watch. "This isn't a big photo shoot, it's just to help promote some designer's clothes."

"Alright, we should have this done by, 5 just to be sure," Kendall said putting out his hand.

"What are you doing?" Katie asked with a laugh.

"I thought this would be, you know, one of those 'go team' moments," Kendall said slowly putting down his arm. Everybody gave him odd looks. "No? Ok, then."

"Kendall, as soon as you and Katie are done putting up decorations, I need you to help me bring the stuff down and whenever anybody's free, I need you to help me frost the cake," Riley added.

"Got it, no problem," Katie said with a nod. "As long as I get to lick the spoon."

"WHERE ARE THE DOGS?"

"Alright, let's put this plan into action."

* * *

"Hi, Momma Knight, I hope you don't mind that I barged in," Riley practically shouted as he burst into apartment 2J.

Mrs, Knight jumped, nearly tearing the newspaper she was holding in half. She set the newspaper aside and smiled at Riley as she got to her feet. She crossed the room and gave her a hug. Riley awkwardly patted her on the back before Mrs. Knight let her go.

"Hello, Riley, how are you doing today?" Mrs. Knight asked.

"Um, I need…to…use your stove, if that's alright?" Riley asked rocking on her heels. "I'm backing two cakes."

"Oh? Who's birthday is it?" Mrs. Knight asked.

"No ones," Riley quickly replied. "I'm just making a cake to…celebrate how close we all are. There's really no reason for it. I love baking in my free time. It helps me relieve stress."

Mrs. Knight crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow, giving Riley a hard stare. Riley swallowed thickly, shifting her eyes back and forth. Mrs. Knight's eyes narrowed more and more as she waited for an answer. She was surprised to see a look of fear cross Riley's features.

"Ok, ok, I'll tell you," Riley spilled, putting up her hands defensively. She took a deep breath before talking. "Today's Gustavo's birthday and it was Kendall's idea to throw him a surprise party and now we're trying to do this and rehearse, and me and my brothers and sisters have a photo shoot today, and look after our dog without dad, or Ronan, or Gustavo, or Kelly finding out."

"Need some help?" Mrs. Knight asked a bright smile crossing her face. "I love to bake."

"Thanks, that would be a big help," Riley admitted, the corners of her lips twitching into a smile.

"Are you ok, sweetie?" Mrs. Knight asked placing her hand on Riley's shoulder. She felt Riley tense under her fingertips but didn't show it on her face."You look scared."

"Never had a friend's parent mad at me," Riley muttered as she backed out of the apartment. "Just, make any cake you can find and I'll come back and check on it." She laughed a little before speed walking off in the direction of her apartment.

"Something's off with her," Mrs. Knight said shaking her head, pursing her lips slightly.

* * *

"There are many kids here, they have to have had a birthday party at one point," Patrick said lightly running his hands over his spikes. He and Noah were back at the Palm Woods, looking around for party decorations.

"There are so many storage closets here, though," Noah pointed out, putting a hand on his hip. "Where are we going to find the right one?"

"We could always ask Bitters," Patrick suggested. Noah let out a loud laugh.

"Bitters has been on our case ever since we got here, I don't think he's going to help us without wondering what we're up to," Noah rolled his eyes.

"No, he's been on our case ever since the peanut butter milkshake fiasco," Patrick pointed out. "Although, I have to say that it was a good idea at the time."

"Yeah, so was this," Noah muttered. "I just have this feeling that we're going to get into so much trouble with this."

"Oh come on, bro," Patrick huffed. "You_'_re _always_ being pessimistic about any of Riley's plans."

"That's because in most cases we do get into a lot of trouble," Noah said under his breath.

"Hey," Patrick suddenly said getting his brother's attention. "What's going on with you and Katie?"

"What do you mean?" Noah asked, immediately turning his head and starting down the hall again. "Nothing's going on."

"What was with that look then?" Patrick asked. "She looked at you as if you were her knight in shining armor or something."

"Katie?" Noah asked with a laugh. "No. No, no, no. She's just been feeling left out with all the time Kendall spends with Riley so I helped her out."

"Well, she didn't say anything to me about that," Patrick's eyebrows furrowed together. "You don't…like her do you?"

"Me?" Noah widened his eyes. "No, of course not. We're just friends. Best friends. Pals. Amigos." His smile faded slightly. "You don't like her do you?"

"No, no," Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. "Like you said, we're just friends."

"Right," Noah nodded, studying the look on his brother's face, seeing if anything would give him away. "You'd tell me if you did though, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Patrick looked as if he was a bobble head, he was nodding so much. "We're twins, I'd never keep anything from you. And…you'd tell me if you did right?"

"Mhm, without a doubt," Noah said sliding his hands into his jeans pockets. He slowly rocked back and forth as an awkward silence fell over the two of them. Noah forced a laugh, blindly reaching towards the doorknob to his left. "Well, we should really be looking for those decorations."

Patrick watched as Noah twisted the door handle and pulled it open. Noah let out a scream of surprise as an avalanche of boxes confetti, streamers, and packets of balloons fell on top of him.

"You ok, buddy?" Patrick asked, kicking aside a box. Noah rubbed his forehead staring up at him, and slowly nodded. "Cool." He picked up a kazoo and blew into it with a grin. He then moved to the front of the door and laughed a little. "Well, that makes sense."

"What makes sense?" Noah asked, trying to crawl his way out of the pile of decorations.

"It says 'PARTY CLOSET' on the door," Patrick pointed at the sign on the door.

"That's great," Noah sarcastically called. "Now, could you GET ME OUT OF HERE?"

"I think you've been spending wayyyy too much time with Gustavo lately," Patrick said dryly as he grabbed onto Noah's arm. He then dropped his brother's arm. "Hey, are we having the party here or at Rocque Records?"

"You think you could ask me this question _after _you get this box off my pelvis," Noah snapped.

* * *

"Gustavo, we have a problem," Carlos shouted as he and Logan burst into the recording studio.

"We have a problem alright," Gustavo snapped turning around in his chair to face the two boys. "You dogs aren't in the studio recording your songs for your demo! That's what the problem is!"

"What's wrong, guys?" Kelly asked crossing her arms over her chest. "And where is James and Kendall?"

"Yes, where is Kendall? He's the leader of your group, he should be here," Gustavo added.

"Kendall isn't our leader, James is," Logan scoffed.

"Last time I checked, Kendall was the one that came up with all the plans, making him the bad boy, thus making him the leader," Gustavo replied, raising his eyebrows.

Carlos and Logan exchanged glances before they burst out laughing. Their laughter slowly faded when they saw the demanding glare on Gustavo's face.

"Tell him why we're here, Carlos," Logan said elbowing Carlos forward.

"No, no, you go ahead, Logan," Carlos replied twirling his helmet in his hands. "You're great with telling people bad news."

"WHAT is the bad news?" Gustavo asked through clenched teeth.

"He shoved a hockey stuck through your Porsche windows," Carlos said pointing at Logan.

"What?" Logan snapped. "I didn't do it! You did." He shoved Carlos.

"No, _you _did," Carlos shoved him back. The two of them got into a slapping fight as Gustavo let out a scream before rushing out of the room.

"You shoved a hockey stick into car?" Kelly asked, a shocked look on her face.

"You see, it's a funny story," Logan chuckled, shoving Carlos away from him. "And I would tell you how it happened, but you should also know that we were playing hockey, and we kinda got into your office, and sorta left a Carlos-shaped hole in the wall."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Kelly shouted.

"Lucky he had his helmet on right?" Logan asked with a shrug.

"Gustavo's right though, your yelling has been improving," Carlos said with an impressed look as he golf clapped. "I'm so proud of you."

"Move it," Kelly snapped, pushing them aside and rushing out of the room. Logan and Carlos slapped each other a high five before putting on looks of dismay.

"You follow Kelly, I'll get Gustavo," Logan said clapping Carlos on the back. "And don't do anything stupid."

"Why do you all of you guys assume I'm going to do something stupid?" Carlos demanded, crossing his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow.

"Puppy," Logan shot back.

"That wasn't stupid, it made the Jacksons happy," Carlos said with a wide smile.

"Your mom aint gonna be too happy once she sees her credit card bill," Logan replied with a knowing smile. "Now, hurry up."

Logan disappeared around the corner and headed towards the front of Rocque Records. As soon as he opened the front doors, he could hear Gustavo's screaming rants as he stormed towards the parking lot. Logan pulled Gustavo's keys out of his front jeans pockets and twirled them around his finger, as he moved back inside, locking the door behind him. He then rushed back to where he left Carlos, nearly colliding with him in the hallway.

"Mission accomplished," Carlos smiled and gave Logan a thumbs up. "Kelly's stronger than she looks. It's actually kind of scary."

"Let's go find everyone else."

* * *

"You're ten minutes late," Robert growled as Rhuben and Sydney rushed into the room, breathing heavily. His eyes narrowed when he saw that they were the only two kids that were there. Sydney whimpered under his dad's gaze and hid behind Rhuben's legs.

"Where's Riley, Patrick, and Noah?" Ronan asked, rushing up to them. He looked frantic. "Never mind, just get into hair and make-up. They can do individual shots first."

"We're really sorry we're late," Rhuben apologized. "We had to-"

"I don't care, get into those chairs now," Robert interrupted them. He then spotted James behind them, struggling to keep an anxious Roxas from moving and making any noise. "And no visitors. This is a private photo shoot."

"Please, he's just here to get a few pointers for their first photo shoot," Sydney said quietly, turning his gaze to Ronan. "Can he please stay?"

"We don't have time to argue about this, Rob," Ronan said placing a hand on Robert's shoulder. Robert grabbed Ronan's hand in a tight hold and roughly pushed it aside. Ronan winced, curling and uncurling his fingers. "The photographer is getting even more impatient by the minute."

"Alright he can stay," Robert growled, his eyes fixed on James, who swallowed thickly. "Hurry up, you two." He and Ronan quickly turned around and crossed the room to the photographer.

"Your dad scares me," James muttered.

"You and me both," Rhuben sighed heavily scratching her forehead. "This shouldn't take long. Just make sure Ronan doesn't leave and keep an eye on Roxas."

"What about your dad?" James asked picking Roxas up in one arm, holding him against his chest. "What if he tries to leave?"

"He won't," Sydney replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "He's going to make we stay here. He won't leave."

"Ok," James nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. '_He looks scared_.' "I'll make sure he doesn't leave. You can count on me."

"You rock, James," Rhuben smiled before crossing the room to the hair and make up station.

"Thank you," Sydney wrapped his arms around James' waist, burying his face into his stomach as he gave him a hug. He pulled back and gave James his dimpled smile before rushing off.

James shifted Roxas in his arms and stepped over to the monitors to watch Rhuben and Sydney do their photo shoot. He was amazed at how much went into it. He always thought it was something easy to do and he always dreamed about being in one himself. Hell, he just always dreamed about being in a picture that would hang up on the walls of millions of girls.

But, watching he realized how hard it also was; doing what the photographer says but listening to the creative director at the same time. In this case, Rhuben and Sydney had to listen to the photographer, creative director, and their dad about what poses to do, which worked, and which didn't work. James couldn't help but wonder whether the smiles on Rhuben and Sydney's faces were true or forced. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he could see an emotion behind their eyes, maybe fear. Their happiness seemed to dwindle every time their dad made a snide comment about what they were doing.

James was also dealing with the fact that Roxas wouldn't sit still!

Every time the bright flash of light from the camera went off, he made a whining sound, and pushed on James' arms until he set him down. He had a tight grip on his leash, but he kept pulling and making whining and choking noises.

"Alright, alright, calm down," James said bending over and reaching towards Roxas' collar. Right as he unhooked the leash, Roxas took off. James drove forward, trying to grab him, but he missed the puppy by inches.

Barking and growling, Roxas raced around the room, looking for anyone that wanted to play with him. James winced, a sheepish grin on his face as everyone turned to face him. He quickly muttered a 'sorry 'before looking around for the small dog. Light stands, backdrops, props, and potted plants fell over as Roxas ran around, wagging his tail in happiness as people tried to grab him.

"This can't be happening," Robert screamed, throwing his cell phone down to the floor.

James was surprised to see that it didn't break. Ronan was too busy apologizing to the photographer and everyone else was too busy trying to catch the dog to see Robert roughly pull Rhuben out of the room. Sydney rushed over to Ronan, talking animatedly to Ronan and the photographer. As a group of workers cornered Roxas around a pile of clothes, he dove forward, grabbing the puppy around the middle.

"Bad boy, Roxas, bad boy," he said in a stern tone.

Roxas' ears flattened to his head once he figured out that he was in trouble. James sighed heavily, clipping the leash back onto Roxas's collar, before heading out of the exit he saw Robert, Rhuben, and Sydney take. Sydney scurried back inside

"Guys, I got-" James stopped short when he saw Robert slap Rhuben across the face and shove her backwards into a wall before storming off. "-him."

Breathing heavily, Rhuben slowly turned to face James, placing a hand on her bright red cheek. "Please tell me you didn't see that," she whispered. James continued to stare at her and she muttered a curse under her breath. "James, you can't tell anyone what you saw."

"But, Rhu-"

"Please," Rhuben hissed. She slowly shook her head back and forth. "I really need you to keep this a secret. You can't tell anyone. Please, James."

"Fine," James said with a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face. "Fine, I promise. I won't tell."

"We should get going," Rhuben muttered brushing by him. "Kendall and Katie should have found a room by now."

* * *

"And where did you get a master key from?" Kendall asked, amazed and impressed at the device Katie had in her hand.

"I swiped it off Bitters when we were trying to remodel the apartment," Katie replied, throwing her brother a grin as they headed down a hall in the Palm Woods.

"You really scare me sometimes," Kendall commented.

"I know," Katie laughed. "Ok, we're looking for a room that not a lot of people go to so we won't be interrupted. I texted Patrick and Noah and said we'd stay on this floor so they could start bringing the stuff up here."

"Katie, what's wrong?" Kendall asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"What do you mean?" Katie asked, unlocking a door, and sticking her head in. She pulled her head back, locking it again. "Too small."

"You know what I mean," Kendall replied, grabbing her arm to stop her from walking. "What's the matter? You haven't been acting like the Katie I know. You haven't even tried to swindle the money out of the Palm Woods workers like you normally do."

Katie just shrugged as she turned and continued walking again. "We're in Los Angeles, Kendall. It changes people."

"Not this much, Kate," Kendall said using his nickname for her. Her lips twitched into a smile when she heard her nickname. "Not this much. Me and the guys…we haven't changed that much."

"Of course you haven't," Katie sarcastically replied. "Back home you treated girls with respect and now you're hitting on the Jennifers any chance you get? That's not like you."

Kendall fell silent; he really didn't have anything to say about that.

"You're upset because I haven't been spending time with you," Kendall guessed. "Is that it?"

"Maybe," Katie shrugged.

"I'm right aren't I?" Kendall asked, stopping her once again. "I'm sorry Katie, I didn't realize what I was doing."

"You're not the only one that had to drop everything and move out here," Katie stomped her foot. "We all had to start our lives over. Just like-"

"Just like when mom and dad got a divorce," Kendall interrupted her. Katie nodded.

"Ever since the divorce you've always looked out for me; making sure I didn't get into trouble, trying to make me happy whenever I was thinking about dad, and yet you also knew when to let me have some space too," Katie explained, running her hands through her hair.

Kendall quietly looked her over, _really _looked at her. Katie had to have grown up even more than any other kid the year their parents got a divorce. He had to grow up too. He had to step in and be the man of the house, getting a job to help his mom pay the bills, and looking after his sister to make sure that she didn't get in trouble. He never realized that all she wanted was her brother back.

He would admit that ever since his dad left the two of them have gotten closer. Kendall could remember times living with both his parents, but Katie was so young when they got divorced, he really didn't know if she remembered their dad. Around the time she realized she was just living with a single mom, did she start to be independent, so she wouldn't have to trouble their mom with her problems.

"I'm sorry, Katie, really, I am," Kendall said giving her a hug. Katie hesitated before hugging her brother back, burying her face into his chest. "Tell you what, one day every week, we can spend the day together, just you and me."

"You mean it?" Katie asked, pulling back, looking up at him.

"Of course I mean it," Kendall smiled. "Whenever you want to hang out, just say the word and I'll drop everything and hang out with you."

"Thanks, Kendall," Katie smiled before hugging him again.

"Hey guys," Patrick groaned as he and Noah entered the hallway, carrying large boxes. "Have you found a room yet, this is beginning to get really heavy."

"Yeah, and we have to hurry and get to our photo shoot," Noah added.

"Oh right," Katie jumped and rushed over to the nearest door.

* * *

"A little higher," Katie advised as she reached up to pin a streamer in the corner. She was sitting on Patrick's shoulders. He struggled to stand on his tip toes. Noah was standing behind the two of them, just in case they fell.

"If you ask for anymore height, I'm going to break my toes," he commented.

"Alright, I got it," Katie grinned. "Now, put me down."

"Yes, your highness," Patrick rolled his eyes and squatted to the ground and Katie got off his shoulders and slapped Patrick and Noah a high five.

"Great teamwork guys," she smiled and turned her gaze over to Kendall as he came into the room, shortly followed by Riley who were both carrying cakes. "Riley, those look great."

"They should," Riley muttered placing them down onto the table. "After all the hard work it took carrying them down here. Hockey-head here nearly dropped his twice. "

"_Nearly _being the key word there," Kendall said as he set the cake he was carrying, down onto the table. The one he was holding was in the shape of a giant CD while the other was a normal rectangle shaped cake with HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUSTAVO written on it.

"Why aren't you two at the photo shoot?" Riley demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised her eyebrows.

"We might have something to do with that," Rhuben announced as she, Sydney, and James slid into the room. "Let's just say the photo shoot went to the dogs."

"And it had to be rescheduled for later," Sydney added. "Dad's not too happy about it." Sydney looked around the room and did a quick head count. "Where's Carlos and Logan?"

"Yeah, and I thought your mom said she was going to be down here too," Riley added as James set Roxas down on the floor, tying the other end of his leash to a table. Roxas circled a small space twice before lying on its side and closing his eyes.

"Mom said she was going to go get Gustavo and Kelly," Kendall replied as he leaned against the door. "So that just leaves Carlos and Logan."

As soon as the words escaped his lips, he was pushed forward as the door was thrown open. Rhuben and Patrick quickly caught him before he face planted into the cake. Kendall turned around and glared at Carlos and Logan as they breathed heavily, hands on their knees.

"Sorry, Kendall," Carlos apologized, standing straight up.

"What's the matter?" James asked, helping Logan stand up straight.

"Trust me when I say that we've never seen Gustavo mad before," Logan wheezed. "And there's a 90 percent chance that we're going to be fired." James let out a high pitched scream, dropping Logan to the floor. "Thanks, I really needed that."

"Would you calm down," Kendall rolled his eyes. "Like all of my other plans, this has worked out. Now, we just have to get Gustavo up here so we can-"

"DOGS! You are in _so _much trouble for locking me out of my own building _and _for shoving a hockey stick through my car window," Gustavo shouted as he burst into the room.

"Surprise, Gustavo," Kendall finished before slapping himself in the forehead.

"Surprise," every weakly chorused, small smiles on their faces. "Happy Birthday, Gustavo."

"You boys are in so much trouble," Kelly repeated as she stormed in. "How could you punch a hole in my wall?"

"You punched a hole in her office wall?" Kendall asked through clenched teeth. "I told you to distract them, not to break their property."

"It was his idea," Carlos and Logan shouted as they pointed at each other.

"I DON'T CARE WHOSE IDEA IT WAS!" Gustavo roared. "I want-did you say Happy Birthday?"

"Today's your birthday isn't it?" Sydney asked, tilting his head to the side. He smiled his dimpled smile. "We wanted to surprise you." He bounced on his toes in excitement. " Did it work? Are you happy? Huh? Huh?"

"Ooh, cake," Kelly smiled and quickly cut herself and Gustavo a piece, putting it on a plate and handing it to him. She took a bite and smiled. "Mmmm, this cake is amazing."

"I don't understand," Gustavo continued to stare at the kids. "Why would you do this for me?"

"It's to thank you for all the hard work you've done helping us to become an amazing boy band," James replied giving Gustavo his charming smile.

"Where are all the presents?" Gustavo asked, looking around the room.

"Kind of greedy don't you think?" Katie asked, putting a hand on her hip. "After all we've been through trying to set this up for you."

"Seriously Gustavo," Kendall moved to lean on the door once again. "I mean, we had to go behind your back, lie to Kelly, get the Jacksons to help, thinking up the plan, not to mention bringing the cakes down here and nearly dropping-"

Kendall tripped over Roxas's leash and landed face first into one of the cakes. He could hear his friends trying not to laugh out loud as he slowly lifted his head out of the dessert.

"-them," he finished before swallowing the icing that was in his mouth. He wiped the cake out of his eyes and shifted his gaze to Katie. "What are you laughing at?" Katie shrieked as he smeared his cake covered hands over his sister's face.

"That's not funny," Katie grabbed a handful of cake and threw it at Kendall. Kendall ducked and the cake hit Logan in the face. He had a shocked look on his face as everyone burst out laughing. Logan grabbed two handfuls of cake, smiling at Riley and Rhuben.

"You wouldn't dare," they said in unison before Logan smashed the cake in their faces.

"Even though I predict an 100 percent chance of getting my butt kicked ,that was worth it," he laughed, licking the icing off his finger.

Then the room exploded; everyone (including Gustavo and Kelly) grabbed handfuls of cake and started throwing it at each other. The room was filled with shrieks and laughter as they had a cake fight. It only stopped when the door was open and Robert, Ronan, Mrs. Knight, and another woman walked in. The Jacksons froze when a piece of cake hit their dad in the face.

"What is going on here?" Robert demanded.

"Is this where you guys have been all day?" Ronan asked. Everyone was surprised to see him get mad as he was someone who was normally pleasant around everyone. "You've skipped out on a photo shoot to throw cake around?"

"We can explain," Riley muttered as she pulled a hunk of icing out of her hair.

"Clean up this place and get upstairs," Robert jerked his thumb behind him. "I'll talk to you then."

"Mom?" Logan asked, after getting a good look at the lady standing next to Mrs. Knight. "What re you doing here?"

Mrs. Mitchell looked around the room, her mouth dropped in a shocked look. She regained her composure and looked her son in the eye. "I'm here to take you home. Back to Minnesota."

"WHAT?"

* * *

**A/N: So now both Katie and James know. If you haven't figured it out yet, these next few chapters around about how Big Time Rush find out about the Jacksons' abuse.**

**Do you think I should add Jo to this story? Is there anything specific you guys want to see? I'm open for any suggestions and I'm willing to put in whatever you guys want in this story. What was your favorite part? What should I work more on? Do you like how I have angst and humor in the same chapter and am I doing a good job with it? Most importantly:**

** BTRxromance or BTRxfriendship fic?We have a new poll up on our profile where you can vote for which one: If you want a BTRxFriencship fic or if you want a BTRxRomance fic and if that's what you want, which pairing do you want? So be sure to vote!**

**-Rhuben**


	11. Chapter 11: Big Time Persuasion

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to update this. I had a lot of school work to do. But, since I'm in the last quarter of my senior year, I think I should have plenty more time to update this story more frequently.**

* * *

**11: **_Big Time Persuasion_

* * *

"I don't want you to leave," Sydney whined. He sniffed as he walked over to Logan, wrapping his arms around his leg and burying his face into his hip bone.

"Wh-mom, I can't leave!" Logan said stepping, while dragging Sydney with him, over to his mom. "What if our demo gets picked up?"

"Seriously, Mrs. Mitchell, he can't leave, he has a bright future ahead of him," Riley added placing a hand on Logan's shoulder as she stepped up bside him. Logan gave her a small smile, placing his hand on top of hers.

"Mom, you remember, Landon and Bella,'' Logan muttered, nodding at the two girls.

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Mitchell," Rhuben said giving a small wave.

"Mom, why do I have to go back?" Logan asked, his eyes widening.

"Being a doctor is a more practical occupation for you, Logan." Mrs. Mitchell said smoothing his hair with her hand.

"Mom, please," he groaned, backing up a step. He looked around, an embarrassed look on his face. "Not around my friends."

"From what I've been hearing, you've gotten yourself into a good amount of trouble," Mrs. Mitchell crossed her arms over her chest. Logan stared at her, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to think of an excuse.

"Well, there's always a chance he'll get in trouble if he's hanging out with these two all of the time," Patrick said motioning to his sisters. Noah nodded his agreement.

"Not helping," Riley snapped, slapping Patrick upside the head.

"With all do respect, Mrs. Mitchell, you just _can't_ take Logan back," James shrieked. "My hopes and dreams will be crushed!"

"Not like they haven't been crushed before, sweetie," Mrs. Knight muttered patting James' shoulders. "Remember when you used to want to be a fireman?"

"Oh, you mean the time he nearly burned down the house?" Kendall asked putting a finger to his chin. "I think that's around the time he started his hair obsession."

"Don't you remember?" Carlos asked, elbowing Kendall in the side. "That's because he burned his hair and eyebrows off."

James slowly turned and glared at his laughing friends. Seeing the look on James' face, Patrick and Noah quickly side stepped as James launched himself into the air and onto his friends, the three of them screaming at the top of their lungs.

"And that's one reason why I need to stay here," Logan said jerking his thumb at his friends.

"Geez, and I thought you two fought a lot," Rhuben dryly commented as she raised an eyebrow in Patrick and Noah's direction.

"We're not _that _bad," they protested in unison.

"Mrs. Mitchell, Logan is doing an amazing job here," Kelly said warming up to Logan's mom. "Before he got here he could hardly sing or dance."

"He was actually really bad," Gustavo piped up. "Not even our choreographer could really help him."

"Have I ever told you guys that you're _awesome_ with building up my confidence," Logan asked sarcastically.

"No," Carlos called from the floor.

"Good," Logan shook his head. "Mom, please. I know we've always said that I was to grow up and be a doctor, but this is really important to me right now."

"And to me!" James leapt to his feet. "We're nothing without Logan. If you send him home, we're all going home."

"And the Jacksons have made us feel like we actually fit in this town," Kendall added. "They're in the music business like us, trying to make It big."

"Mrs. Mitchell, please," Sydney whined.

"Kids, get upstairs," Robert said through clenched teeth. "Don't make us have to say it a third time. And stay out of Mrs. Mitchell's business. This is between her and her son. Now, go."

"But-"Patrick and Noah turned pleading eyes to Ronan. He quietly nodded his head towards the doorway. Riley ushered her siblings out. She grabbed onto Roxas' leash and lead him out of the room with them. Rhuben had to pry Sydney off of Logan's leg to get him to leave the room.

"This isn't fair," Riley punched a wall as they headed towards their room. "We just got reunited with Logie again, and now he has to leave?"

"We'd be leaving eventually anyway," Noah shrugged.

"Yeah, but we don't even know if Griffin is even thinking about signing their band," Patrick added.

"This sucks," Sydney pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's not going that easily," Rhuben shook her head. "Not if we have anything to do with it."

"Besides, what kind of best friends are we if we let one of our friends go without a fight?" Riley asked and the two of them bumped fists.

* * *

"What? Are you serious?" Camille gaped at Riley and Rhuben. The three of them were sitting at their 'usual table' on the pool deck of the Palm Woods, sharing a plate of French Fries. "Logan's actually leaving?"

As soon as the Jacksons got back to their room, showered, changed, and helped everybody clean up the room they had their party, Riley and Rhuben immediately went in search for Camille to tell her the news. They knew how big of a crush Camille had on Logan and they knew that she had a right to know everything that was going on. While they were doing this, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney were following Logan and his mom around, eavesdropping on their conversation to see if there was any way they could get him to stay. James, Carlos, and Kendall had retreated to apartment 2J to sulk.

The twin girls had just finished telling Camille everything that happened. At first she was upset that she wasn't invited to the party (Rhuben easily guessed she only felt that way because she couldn't hang out with Logan) but once she found out what was going on, she understood.

"That's what his mom said," Riley replied with a shrug and a sigh. Rhuben was slumped in her seat chewing at her thumbnail.

"There's gotta be a way we can convince her to let him stay here," she muttered.

"Well, have you told Mrs. Mitchell how you guys felt?" Camille suggested.

"She thinks it's more practical for Logan to become a doctor," Rhuben explained. "Besides, we've tried everything: begging, pleading, getting Sydney to throw a tantrum about it. And surprisingly she didn't fall for it. Do you know how hard it is to say 'No' to Sydney when he's crying?"

"I'll take your word for it," Camille chuckled, shaking her head.

"We have to think of something," Riley slapped the table in annoyance. "This is horrible."

"I know right," Rhuben brushed her hair out of her face.

"No, I mean I can't think of a plan!" Riley said through clenched teeth. "And I'm the _master _at making plans!" Rhuben rolled her eyes, shaking her head before turning to Camille.

"Either way, you might want to tell Logan how you feel," she suggested. "You know, before it's too late. They're supposed to be leaving tonight."

A blush immediately rose to Camille's cheeks. Every time someone mentioned Logan she blushed. No one would really think of her as the blushing type especially when they see her interacting with Logan. Whenever she was with him by himself, she would always come up with a cheesy "audition" thing to mask her nervousness. Other times he would be with everyone in Big Time Rush and just talk to James, Kendall, and Carlos, all the while sneaking peaks at him.

"I don't know," Camille shifted nervously in her seat. Riley popped a fry into her mouth and glanced over Camille's shoulder. She nodded.

"There he is," she pointed in Logan's direction. He was walking by the pool, hands shoved into his pockets, kicking at the ground, head bent. "He looks so sad. I'd do it if I were you. You might not get another chance.'

"I agree," Rhuben nodded. "Get going. The worst thing he can say is he doesn't feel the same."

"No, the worst thing he could do is laugh," Riley contradictd her. Rhuben gave her a swift kick to the shin. She jumped and glared at her twin, rubbing her shin.

"You're not helping," she muttered.

"Ok," Camille breathed out, "I'll do it." She wiped her hands on her jeans, watching Logan's every move.

"Uh, 'Mille," Riley tilted hr head to the side. "You're not moving."

"I know," Camille nodded in rapid-fire. Rhuben smirked and got to her feet. She walked over to her friend's chair, pulled on her arm so she stood up and started pushing her towards Logan. "Never mind Bella, I change my mind."

"I'm sorry but I can't let you do that," Rhuben replied as Camille tried to firmly plant her feet into the ground. Logan looked up as Rhuben practically shoved Camille into his chest. "Logan. Camille. Camille. Logan. You two have a lot to talk about."

With that she turned on her heel and rejoined her sister at the table. They slid their chairs over to one side of the table to watch what was going on. They watched as Camille and Logan glance at each other, then at random places around the area. Camille started talking, waving her arms in the air. Logan patiently listened to her, his head cocked slightly to the side.

"Ri-Ri," Sydney ran up to Riley and Rhuben, Patrick, and Noah following close behind them. "Dad says we have to go. He's really mad."

"Go?" Riley asked, her eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean go?"

"He wants us to start packing," Patrick explained.

"You mean-"

Rhuben stopped when Noah slowly nodded. "This whole party thing threw him over the edge. We're leaving by the end of the week," he said in his quiet voice. "It doesn't matter if Logan stays or not. You guys won't see him again anyway." Rhuben shot Noah and annoyed look. "Dad's words not mine."

"No one else knows," Sydney quickly replied, reading Riley's thoughts. "I don't think we should tell them. It's hard for them with Logan right now anyway; especially James. Although in some cases I think he cares more about his "dream" than Logan."

"Amateurs," the Jacksons chorused in unison, chuckling lightly.

"Well, I guess we should do what dad says so he doesn't get even madder and takes us out of the music industry," Riley said getting to her feet. "Let's go Rhu."

Rhuben got to her feet and the five of them started away. Patrick turned back and grabbed the abandoned fries, shoving a handful into his mouth.

"What?" he asked through a full mouth as his brothers and sisters gave him disgusted looks. He quickly chewed and swallowed. "What's Camille doing?"

"Confessing her love to genius boy," Riley smirked. "Come on, let's go."

"I think she's doing more than confessing," Noah laughed, crossing his arms over his chest, a small smile on his face.

Riley, Rhuben, Patrick, and Sydney turned and saw Camille throw her arms around Logan's neck and press her lips to his. Patrick and Noah started laughing as Sydney made a noise of disgust. Riley shook her head, an amused smirk on her face and Rhuben tilted her head to the side, her face void of emotions.

"Let's go," she muttered, before leading the way into the Palm Woods. She did acknowledge the fact that when she saw Camille kiss Logan, her heart stopped for a split second.

Only for a split second.

But, that split second was really all that mattered.

"You ok?" Noah gently hip-bumped her giving her his soft smile.

"I'm fine," Rhuben replied. "For the most part. I don't know how I'll feel once we have to leave."

"Yeah, same here," Noah agreed, slowly nodding.

* * *

"Would you guys get up off your butts?" Katie demanded, standing in front of Kendall, James, and Carlos, her hands on her hips. "I swear, you'll have permanent butt prints on that couch!"

"Katie, don't yell at your brother and his friends," Mrs. Knight called from the kitchen table. She was looking through a newspaper, still looking for a job.

"Yeah, don't yell at us," Kendall muttered.

"But, Mooooom," Katie whined, stomping her foot. "They're eating my Death By Chocolate ice cream!"

"You said it yourself, it's comfort food," Carlos muttered around a spoonful of ice cream.

"Yeah, for me!" Katie replied grabbing the half empty container of ice cream.

"You're 12, what do you have to be upset about?" James asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Katie replied as she put her ice cream back in the freezer. "I'm going to hang out with Patrick and Noah, ok mom?"

"Stay out of trouble," Mrs. Knight replied, never taking her eyes off of the newspaper.

"Mommy," Kendall whined getting to his feet. He sat down in the free chair next to his mom and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Is there anything you can do to get Logan to stay? Can't you try and convince his mom?"

"Oh, sweetie," Mrs. Knight put down the newspaper and ran her fingers through his son's hair like she used to do when he was younger. Kendall closed his eyes at the touch. "I've been trying trust me. Right now, Gustavo, and Mrs. Wainwright are talking to Logan's mom." Kendall gave a slight pout. "Would chocolate milk and dinosaur-shaped chicken help?"

"Yes," Kendall, James, and Carlos replied in unison.

"Ok," Mrs. Knight patted Kendall's cheek and got up from her chair just as the door to the apartment opened and Logan walked in, a dazed look on his face.

"What's up?" Kendall asked, peering at his friend. "You look….odd."

Carlos and James got up off the couch and joined their friends at the front door.

"You look like-" Carlos trailed off. "I don't know." James suddenly let out a loud gasp, grabbing everyone's attention."

"YOU KISSED SOMEONE!" he shouted, jabbing his finger into Logan's chest. Logan raised his eyebrows staring at James.

"How could you possibly know that?" Logan asked a confused look crossing his face.

"You have the same weird look on your face like I did after I got my first kiss," James replied with a grin.

"Oh, you mean with your pillow?" Carlos asked. Kendall and Logan chuckled and slapped Carlos a high five as an annoyed look crossed James' face.

"Hey, that was a dare!" James snapped.

"And the first time you kissed a girl, you were smiling so wide she kissed your teeth instead, so I don't think those count," Kendall pointed out. "Anyway, Logie, who'd you kiss?"

"Camille," Logan replied slowly. "And once again I was pleasantly surprised."

"Oh, Camille is such a nice girl," Mrs. Knight said cheerfully.

"Mom, we're having a private moment," Kendall snapped an embarrassed look crossing his face. Mrs. Knight put up her hands, giving an apologetic smile.

"So, what happened?" Carlos asked, bouncing with excitement.

"Well, I was walking around the Palm Woods, thinking about all the memories we've had here," Logan started to explain.

"Oh, you mean like the School of Rocque, and putting the giant octopus in the pool?" James asked with a wide smile.

"And the building wide capture the flag game?" Carlos asked.

"Don't forget the hockey games _and _everything with the Jacksons," Kendall added. "Like the party, and the music video, and-"

"We get it," Logan interrupted him. "And then Rhuben pushed Camille over to me and she said that we had a lot to talk about. Camille and I started talking and then she told me how much she liked me and she kissed me."

"WHAT?" Kendall, James, and Carlos yelled.

"She finally told you?" James asked, playfully punching Logan on the shoulder. Logan winced, grabbing his arms. "Our little Logie is growing up."

"Wait, you guys _knew _she liked me?" Logan asked.

"It's kind of obvious dude," Carlos laughed. "Which is kind of odd because James gets all of the girls."

"Thanks, you're really great at bringing up my self-esteem," Logan sarcastically replied.

"What'd you say after she kissed you, Logie?" Kendall asked, putting his arm around his friend's shoulders. Logan nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"I said how it wouldn't really work out with the long distance and kind of…ran," Logan replied. He then let out a sigh. "Anyway, have you guys seen Riley or Rhuben lately?"

"They've been up in their apartment all day," James replied. "They've all been acting kind of…depressed too."

"Well, Logan has known Riley and Rhuben for a while," Kendall replied.

"Yeah, that's probably it," James replied although he looked a little doubtful.

"Well, I'm going to go and see them," Logan replied as the door behind them opened and Katie walked in.

"Don't bother, they're pretty busy right now," Katie replied. She had a somewhat confused look on her face. "They're sorting all of their clothes to donate or something. Their dad doesn't want them to have any visitors right now."

The corners of James's lips twitched slightly. He peered closely at Katie. The longer he looked the more the confused look on her face seemed to change to a look of worry. '_Maybe she knows_' he thought, running a hand through his hair.

"What's so bad about that?" Kendall asked.

"Nothing, I didn't say it was a bad thing," Katie replied.

"I know, but you had a confused look on your face," Kendall pointed out.

"No, I didn't," Katie quickly replied. She immediately changed the subject. "Mom, is lunch almost ready?"

"About 10 more minutes sweetie," Mrs. Knight replied.

"This should only take a few minutes," Logan said turning towards the door. "Save me some lunch." He then turned around and gave Carlos and James a hard stare. "And _don't_ touch my dinosaur-shaped chicken."

With that, he left the apartment and headed towards the elevators, heading up to the sixth floor. He whistled to himself as he rode the elevator up four floors. He got off on the sixth floor and made a bee-line to the Jacksons' door. He raised his fist to knock on the door, but stopped when he heard muffled shouts and scuffling.

He quietly pressed his ear to the door to see if he could make out the voices. He couldn't hear that well, only sounds. He could hear the sound of glass breaking, and something heavy falling to the floor. Logan thought he could hear sobs but he wasn't so sure. Hearing footsteps storming to the door, Logan quickly jumped back from the door and ran down the hall, hiding around the corner.

Hearing the door open, he peeked around the corner and saw Robert slam the door shut behind him, shaking his right hand. Logan's eyebrows narrowed slightly when he saw Robert's knuckles tinged red. Robert glanced at his hand before pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiping the substance off his hand. Logan pulled his head back, leaning against the wall. Deep in thought, he slid to the floor.

Only one thought kept racing through his mind.

Child abuse.

* * *

"Alright, how about you guys do your new cover?" Ronan asked looking over his clip board. Riley nodded and picked up her guitar. Roan turned around in his seat to face Mrs. Mitchell, jerking his thumb in the direction of the Jacksons. "Big Time Rush, and my band, The DarkElements, are two of the most popular bands here. They both sing and dance, but the Jacksons also play instruments too."

"I see," Mrs. Mitchell nodded. "I also notice that you don't yell as much as Gustavo."

"I prefer to take the quiet encouragement approach," Ronan replied with a gentle smile. "Don't get me wrong Gustavo has done and is doing amazing with his bands. But, I prefer not to yell at my clients."

"Wait until you hear them mom," Logan said gently squeezing his mom's hand.

"Ok, this song is called Everything Sucks When You're Gone," Riley explained adjusting the microphone in front of her. "It's originally by MXPX, but we want to try and put our own spin on it."

Riley quietly counted off her siblings and they all started playing. Riley stepped up to the microphone to sing.

"They trade off singing at this part," Ronan explained as he leaned back in his chair. "It's my favorite part." He then gave Logan a serious look. "You know they're singing this because you're leaving."

"Yeah, I figured," Logan said quietly, looking down at his feet. Mrs. Mitchell quietly looked at Logan then back over at the Jacksons.

"Great job you guys," Ronan said pressing a button on the switchboard as he got to his feet, looking at his sheet of notes. "Patrick, you were a little flat on the second chorus and Sydney you were a little sharp.

"Was I flat with my singing or my playing?" Patrick asked, playing with a string on his bass.

"A little bit of both," Ronan replied. "Remember, you're trying to hit that C, not a B."

"Got it," Patrick nodded giving a thumbs up. Ronan then turned back around to face Mrs. Mitchell.

"And this is basically how we spend our time in the studio," Ronan said tapping his knee with his fingers. "Sometimes we just lay down some vocals and other times we're in the dance studio." He then crossed his arms over his chest. "I understand you want Logan to become a doctor and you don't think that the music business is practical. But, I can assure you that as long as he and his friends and Gustavo do all the right things, they have a pretty good future ahead of them. There shouldn't be anything to worry about."

"See mom, you have nothing to worry about," Logan said turning to his mom. "And I think it should be my decision if I want to leave or not. I'm a man now, and I've always been responsible, and I have all of my friends here. Not to mention Mrs. Knight has been doing an amazing job taking care of all of us."

"We can talk about this over dinner," Mrs. Mitchell replied with a sigh. She offered her hand to Ronan and he shook it. "it was nice meeting you Mr. McGuire."

"Please, call me Ronan," Ronan replied with a smile. "I hope everything works out." He watched as the mother and son left the room before turning back to the Jacksons, motioning them to come out of the booth. "What's bothering you?"

"Logan's leaving," Rhuben replied with a 'duh' look on her face.

"No, it's more than that, I can tell," Ronan shook his head. "Look, I've been your guys' manager for a long time. I feel like your father in some cases. I think I know the difference between when something is bothering you and something isn't." He looked around before asking quietly. "Is it your dad?"

"Yeah," Sydney nodded. "We're leaving at the end of this week."

"Oh," Ronan blinked. "He never told me that."

"I hate to say this," Patrick said quietly. He waited until he got everybody's attention. "But, maybe it's better if we go back home."

* * *

"Mom, come on, you've been silent ever since dinner started," Logan commented as he set down his now empty cup. He had been messing with it ever since he finished his dinner. "Have you made your decision?"

Big Time Rush, Katie, Mrs. Knight, and Mrs. Mitchell were all sitting around the table in apartment 2J after finishing a meal. The Jacksons were invited to eat dinner with them, but their dad said they had to refuse because they had family stuff to take care of. Kendall noticed as soon as he relayed the message to everyone else that Katie and James looked worried about something. Logan looked even more worried too, but he couldn't figure out what.

They had pizza for dinner which somewhow James and Carlos was still able to play with rather than eat. They were waiting for Mrs. Knight to finish cutting the apple pie she had made earlier that day to eat for their dessert. Everyone stopped to see how Mrs. Mitchell would answer her son.

Under the table, Katie grabbed and squeezed Kendall's hand as hard as she could. Kendall squeezed back with his one hand, his other had his two fingers crossed. James and Carlos had paused in their game of 'Pizza Factory' to pay attention and Logan had his hands folded on top of the table, waiting.

"You seem to be really happy here," Mrs. Mitchell replied slowly. With every second that passed, they all leaned forward, waiting for her final decision. "You and your friends are doing an amazing job with your singing. So…you can stay."

"YES!" Kendall, Carlos, James, and Katie jumped out of their chairs and started to jump up and down, cheering at the top of their lungs. Logan starred at his mom in disbelief.

"Really?" he asked, his smile coming to his face.

"Really," Mrs. Mitchell replied with a smile. "I have complete faith in you. Just stay out of trouble."

"I will mom," Logan got to his feet and crossed the table to where his mom was sitting, giving her a big hug and a kiss on top of the head. "Thank you so much. I won't let you down."

"Well, I should get going, my flight leaves soon," Mrs. Mitchell said getting to her feet, hugging her son.

"I'll walk you to your car, mom," Logan suggested as she grabbed her purse. Logan grinned, giving his friends a thumbs up as he followed his mom out the door.

On the way down to the lobby of the Palm Woods, Mrs. Mitchell explained to Logan how proud the family was, what he had missed at home, and how he was to call them every weekend to give an update about everything.

"I will, I promise," Logan smiled giving his mom one more hug. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Mrs. Mitchell smiled. "Good luck son. Bye."

"Bye mom," Logan gave his mom a small wave and watched her walk out of the Palm Woods lobby. He stepped outside and waved as she started up her car and drove off. He didn't stop waving until he couldn't see the car anymore.

He turned and spotted the empty pool. He had a sudden urge to run out onto the pool deck and jump in. He walked outside and smiled as the smell of the chlorine hit his nose.

Logan let out a breath of air, a small smile on his face. He ran his hands over his face and into his hair before punching the air with his fists. Smiling to himself he sat down at the edge of the pool and stuck his feet into the cool water.

He stared down at his reflection in the water; surprising himself with how wide of a smile was on his face. His dimples had appeared on his face and his eyes were shining.

'_I'm staying_,' he thought, lifting his head and looking around the Palm Woods. '_I'm actually staying. Here. At the Palm Woods. With my friends, doing something I love. I can't believe this_.'

"Hey, you."

Logan turned his head and smiled his dimpled smile as Rhuben walked over to him.

"Hey, yourself," Logan laughed patting the open space next to him.

"Judging by the look on your face, I take it your mom decided to let you stay?" Rhuben asked, sitting down beside him. She stuck her feet into the cool pool water.

"It took a little while to convince her," Logan said with a sigh. "But, yeah, I'm staying. I can't give up on my friends. Or you guys, I mean, you and your producer have done a lot for us."

"Yeah, we have," Rhuben agreed. "So, if you left and messed everything up I'd have to kick your butt."

"That was a deciding factor too," Logan laughed. "There's no way I could leave this place."

"You always told me you wanted to be a doctor," Rhuben swiped her hand through the water, splashing Logan.

"I can still do it, I'm only 16 you know," Logan said splashing her back.

"Well, I'm glad you're staying," Rhuben pulled her feet out of the water and brought her knees to her chest. She looped her arm left arm through his right and rested her hands on top of his right hand. She leaned her head onto his shoulder. "Riles and I don't want to lose you again."

Logan blushed at the sudden movement. He swallowed thickly, feeling the heat from her hands cover his own. He gently placed his hand and head on top of hers.

"Yeah," he quietly agreed. "Me too."

"Guys," Riley said in a mocking whining voice as she walked up. "You can't have a best-friend-hug-fest-moment without me." She sat down on Logan's free side and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his free shoulder.

Logan spotted a cut on Riley's cheek, and bit his lip, deciding it was better to enjoy the moment than ask questions about the Jacksons' home life.

* * *

**A/N: Once again, sorry it took so long for me to update. I'll be updating more often once again.! =) **

**Do you think I should add Jo to this story? Is there anything specific you guys want to see? I'm open for any suggestions and I'm willing to put in whatever you guys want in this story. **

**What was your favorite part? What should I work more on? Do you like how I have angst and humor in the same chapter and am I doing a good job with it? **

**-Rhuben  
**


	12. Chapter 12: Big Time Liars

**12: **_Big Time Lie_

* * *

The Jacksons spent all of thier free time making up Pro/Cons lists as to whether or not they werre going to go back to Australia. They then decided that it was a good idea if they did and told Big Time Rush. They didn't take the news lightly. Gustavo even went as fasr as telling, well yelling, at Ronan saying that it was his client's fault that his boys weren't doing well. Ronan would only say that if he knew what was going on would he understand.

The next few days after that, the boys of Big TimeRush, Katie, and Camille thought up ways to get the Jacksons to change htier minds. One day when they all finally had a day off of working, they put htier plain into action.

"You can't be serious," Rhuben groaned as she stared at the horses in front of her.

"Yay, horses," Sydney cheered, his eyes shining with excitement.

"We thought you'd like it," Kendall laughed, sliding his hands under Sydney's arms. "We have a pony for you and Katie, just in case." He lifted the small boy up onto the back of the smallest horse. He then turned back and helped Katie.

"Awesome," Katie said with a grin as she placed her hands on Sydney's waist.

Patrick and Noah exchanged annoyed glances before walking over to the next horse. Patrick cupped his hands together and Noah placed his foot inside. Patrick lifted Noah up and he climbed onto the back of the horse. Noah reached down a hand, and pulled Patrick up behind him.

"Lucky," Noah muttered.

"Mhm," Patrick agreed.

"Let's not waste anymore time, we only have these for 2 hours," James said as he climbed up onto the back of one of the leftover horses.

Carlos let out a whoop of excitement and tried to climb onto the back of a horse. In his excitement, he swung his leg over the horse so fast, he fell off the other side.

"I guess it is a good thing you wear that helmet," Noah laughed as he tightened his grip on his horse's reins, keeping him still.

"Are you ok?" Patrick asked, twisting to get a good look at Carlos. He laughed when he saw him making a sand angel. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Yeah, I'm good," Carlos said getting to his feet. This time he was able to get onto his horse.

"You know, we should have horses in one of our photo shoots," James said as he grabbed the reins to his horse. Kendall and Riley were on the horse next to him.

"And why would we do that?" Kendall asked his arms around Riley's waist.

"It'd be awesome," James explained, brushing his hair out of his face. "We'd be like Fabio on the cover of a romance novel."

"In that case, let's not and say we did," Logan said with a smirk. He then turned to Rhuben and offered a hand. "Come on."

"I'm not getting on that thing," Rhuben shook her head, backing up.

"You'll be fine, Rhu, don't worry," Noah called from his horse.

"I ride horses a lot, Bell, I promise nothing will happen to you," Logan said clasping his hands together. "Don't make me beg. I will."

"Logan, if she doesn't want to ride horses, she doesn't have to," Kendall called over to him, a frown on his face.

"She's afraid of horses," Riley said loud enough only for him to hear. "You would be too if you were trampled by one when you were younger. In fact, Logan was there at the time, he should remember that."

"Yeah, that would make someone not want to go anywhere near a horse," Kendall agreed.

At this point, Logan was now on his knees, looking up at Rhuben with wide eyes, a pout on his face. Rhuben let out a heavy sigh, running her hands over her face. Logan saw the corner of her mouth twitch into a smile and cheered, jumping to his feet.

"After you," Logan said cupping his hands.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm really going to regret this?" Rhuben groaned as she stepped in his hands and climbed onto the back of the horse.

"You'll have fun, trust me," Logan said climbing up behind her. "Let's go guys." He gently flicked the reins and the horse started forward. A small gasp left Rhuben's throat as the horse started forward. She grabbed his wrists in a tight grip. "Relax."

"Easy for you to say," she muttered.

* * *

"This is awesome," Katie brushed the hair out of her face with one hand.

The group had been riding their horses up the beach for a good twenty minutes. She then turned and called to Kendall over her shoulder as the group slowly made their way down the beach. "How come I you never told me you were planning this?"

"Because you can't keep a secret," Carlos pointed out.

"Neither can you," Katie shot back, sticking out her tongue. Carlos did too. "And I can so keep a secret. Kendall still doesn't know I used his hockey stick to unclog the toilet once."

"You did what?" Kendall shouted at her.

"Well, that's not a secret anymore," Patrick said dryly as Noah started laughing.

"Oops," Katie shrugged as Sydney put a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't giggle out loud. "It was payback anyway."

"For what?" Kendall demanded.

"For that time when I was younger and you tricked me into snorting Paprika," Katie replied before sticking her tongue out at her brother. He made a face back at her.

"Hey, anybody up for a race?" James asked with a challenging grin. "Last one that sand dune is a rotten egg _and _!"

"You're on!" Carlos accepted the challenge, slapping his helmet. He flicked his horse's reins and dug his knees into its side and it shot forward.

"Wooohoooo!" Patrick and Noah shouted in unison, surging forward.

"Let's go, Riles," Kendall shouted in her ear.

"Don't worry, I've never lost a race before," she said with a determined grin, slapping the reins down onto the back of her horse.

Logan wordlessly dug his knees into the horse's sides and Rhuben let out a shriek of terror when the horse started forward. Rhuben's hands tightened around the reins, her fingernails digging into her palms.

"Make it stop," she shouted, her eyes shut tight.

"We're not going that fast," Logan chuckled in her ear.

"It's fast enough, make it stop, I want to get off," Rhuben shrieked.

"We're here anyway, everybody get off," Kendall commanded. "We have to walk the rest of the way but I'm sure you guys will see that its worth it."

"Oh, we better," Rhuben slapped him on the arm. Kendall let out a girl shriek of pain as he furiously rubbed his arm.

"Wow, Rhuben, you're such a girl," Carlos commented as Rhuben slid off the horse.

"What'd you just say?" Rhuben whipped her head around to glare at him, her blue eyes narrowing in anger. Carlos stammered as he slowly put his hockey helmet on his head. "I'll give you ten seconds." Carlos didn't move. "1….2….3…4-"

"AHHHHH!" Carlos screamed, running off with Rhuben chasing after him, screaming at the top of her lungs. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN GET TO TEN!"

"Keep 'em closed," Kendall said as he gently pushed Riley forward. He had his hands over her eyes as he slowly walked her over the beach. The rest of the Jacksons had their eyes covered too. "Ok, stop."

"Can we open them now?" Sydney asked bouncing up and down. Katie laughed as sbe tried to keep his eyes covered. "Please, Kendall, please?"

Kendall exchanged glances with his friends and little sister. They all nodded at him.

"1, 2, 3, OPEN!" Kendall shouted as he pulled his hands back.

"SURPRISE!" Camille shouted as she jumped up from behind one of the tables that was sitting in front of the group. Each chair had a balloon tied to it. In a pile a little ways off were surfboards and buckets and other things people could use to build a sand castle, and there was also a volleyball net set up.

"What's all this for?" Riley asked once she found her voice. Sydney had already let out a cheer of excitement before running over to Camille an giving her a big hug.

"Well, you guys were saying that you thought it was a good idea to go back home to Australia," Logan explained. "So, we all thought it would be a great idea if we all compiled our thoughts and compromised into making this extravagant-"

"In English please," Patrick deadpanned, giving Logan a pained look.

"We don't want you to leave so we're throwing you this party to show how much we'd miss you," Kendall clarified.

"Yeah, I mean, who else can I share my Cuda tips with?" James asked with a small pout. He suddenly turned on the spot and pulled a Cuda product out of his pocket. He lifted the product up to his face and smiled. "Better wear ya Cuda."

"Seriously, why does he always do that?" Noah asked with a chuckle.

"You should see him 'talking' to himself in the mirror," Katie said shaking her head. "it's beyond weird. It's kind of like Mr. Osbourne in the-"

"Spider-Man movies? Yeah," Patrick and Noah agreed in unison. They spotted the surprised look on Katie's face and exchanged glances.

"Twin telepathy-"Noah explained.

"better get used to it," Patrick finished with a shrug. "Look, you guys, this is really sweet and all="

"And kind of weird," Riley added. Patrick ignored her as if she didn't say anthing.

"But, we've already agreed, going back home is the best thing for us," Patrick slowly replied. He had a pained look on his face as if it was literally killing him to say it.

"But, what about everything here?" Katie asked grabbing onto his arm. Patrick immediately looked away, hiding his pink cheeks.

"Your friends? Your music?" Camille asked tilting her head to the side. "How can you just pick up and move away."

"Look, we'd have to leave whether we like it or not," Noah quietly spoke up. "You know, because of our dad and everything. We've just decided its better if we leave now."

"Can't you just say 'no' to your dad?" Carlos asked.

"No, we can't do that," Sydney practically shouted getting everyone's attention. "Daddy hates it when we say 'no.' We have no choice."

"Look, I'm sure if you just reason with him-"

"Just drop it, James," Rhuben cut him off, giving him a hard stare. "Ok? You guys made this party for us, let's just try and have some fun ok?"

"…Ok," James finally nodded. Logan glanced back and forth at them, a wondering look on his face. He then turned his gaze to Sydney who had his face buried into Camille's stomach, and let out a breath of air.

'_They're afraid of their dad_' Logan thought to himself as he went to take his seat at the table. Camille had pulled a basket of food out from under the table.

"So, how's your guys' demos coming?" Noah asked trying to break the silence. "What does Griffin think about them?"

"Not sure, Gustavo hasn't really told us anything," Kendall replied.

"He doesn't really tell us stuff, he more or less yells it at us," James pointed out.

"Gee, I wonder why," Camille snorted, rolling her eyes. "Pass me a piece of watermelon please."

"Here you go," Logan handed her the plate. Her fingers brushed over his as she took the plate. The two of them locked yes, blushed, and looked away from each other.

"Thanks," Camille muttered her gaze at her lap.

"What about you guys?" Carlos asked through a mouthful of hamburger.

"Well, we found out that people here hate us being a triple threat," Riley said through a fake smile. "You know, singing, dancing, able to play our own instruments."

"But, who cares anyway, I mean, Demi Lovato does it," Rhuben shrugged. "Besides, we're not always happy doing all three."

"You look like you do," Camille pointed out.

"Yeah, well you would too if your dad forced you to do stuff you didn't want to do," Noah said rolling his eyes. "I think we'd be better off if he didn't have such a short leash on us."

"You really don't like your dad, do you?" Carlos quietly asked after a short pause.

"Let me put it this way," Rhuben piped up, fiercely stabbing at her chunk of watermelon with her fork. "I think we could do better by ourselves."

* * *

"So they agree?" Robert asked tapping his fingers on his knee cap.

"Yes, sir, they think it's a good idea to go back to Australia," Ronan slowly replied, looking into Robert's eyes. "And I agree with them."

"You do?" Robert asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, it's good for them to keep their fan base back in Australia," Ronan slowly nodded. "But, I can't let them go knowing that you're going to continue to hurt them."

"if they don't step out of line, then they don't have to worry about it," Robert shrugged.

"That's not something I'm willing to risk," Ronan shook his head. "The police will be here any moment."

"What?" Robert asked, his eyes narrowing into a glare. Ronan didn't flinch.

"I called the police," Ronan repeated tapping his pen repeatedly on the clipboard that was in his lap. "They're going to be questioning you and your kids once they get back which should be at any moment."

"What do you think you're doing?" Robert demanded, getting to his feet.

"What is right," Ronan shot back. "You're not going to hurt them anymore. I won't let you." Robert chucked crossing his arms over his chest.

"You won't let me," he repeated. "There isn't any way you can stop me really." He licked his lips before leaning forward resting his hands on the arm rests of Ronan's chair, getting in his face. "If they do find me guilty, the kids will just go back into the orphanage or into foster care. And they'll hate you."

"Hate me?" Ronan repeated.

"Let's face it, Rilandon and Rhubella are too old to be adopted by a family," Robert replied. Ronan winced at the stench of alcohol on his breath. "Patrick and Noah are getting there, a family could still adopt them. And Sydney is 7, he could still be picked out by a family. Now, if that happens, they'll all be split up. And I know you don't want that to happen with them."

"…You're right, I don't," Ronan agreed nodding. He then got to his feet and straightened his tie. "But, I'll do whatever I can to keep them happy and safe…even if that means adopting them myself."

"You?!" Robert's eyes popped open. He stood up and threw his head back and laughed. He laughed his way out of the room. Ronan let out a heavy sigh, and rubbed his forehead.

* * *

"Why are you asking us these questions?" Sydney asked, shrinking under the gaze of everybody.

The Jacksons, Big Time Rush, and Katie all crashed in the Knight apartment as soon as they got back from their trip to the beach. They all had a great time at the beach after the rocky start they had. Everybody seemed genuinely happy to be there and they all had a good time surfing and playing volleyball.

Sydney never went into the water because he had a fear of water ever since he was younger, so he and Kendall and Katie stayed on the beach and built sandcastles. Rhuben went around taking pictures of everything to be sure the Jacksons remembered that day once they left.

The police had come five minutes after they got back and asked all of the Jacksons to sit on the couch so they could ask them some questions. Robert and Mrs. Knight were sitting at the kitchen table, watching and waiting. They had questioned the Jacksons as a group then brought them into the room one by one. Not once had they looked in their friends' direction.

Katie had a tight grip on Kendall's arm ever since the police entered their apartment. She seemed a little off once the police started asking the Jacksons questions about their home lives. Kendall glanced at his friends and saw that James and Logan weren't acting like themselves either, but he couldn't figure out why.

"Your manager, Ronan McGuire, called us," the police officer, Captain Whitaker, replied. "He accused your father of child abuse. Now, we're just trying to get to the bottom of this. Now, has your dad ever hit you?"

"No," Sydney took a quick glance at his dad and shook his head. "He wouldn't do that."

"Has he ever burned you?"

Again, Sydney shook his head.

"Why would Ronan call in accusing your father of child abuse?" Captain Whitaker tilted his head to the side.

"I don't know," Sydney said to his twisted hands in his lap. "He's just worried I guess. He's like our second dad, you know?"

"I see," Captain Whitaker replied getting to his feet. "You can go and get your brothers and sisters."

"Kay," Sydney slid off the couch and ran into Kendall and James's room where his siblings were waiting. "I can't believe I did that. You know I hate lying."

"And you know why we had to do it," RHuben replied as Noah opened his arms to give Sydney a hug. Wordlessly, Sydney wrapped his arms around Noah's shoulders and buried his face into his shoulder.

"He's just a kid," Patrick ran his fingers through his brother's hair.

"Pat, we all agreed," Riley snapped. "Dad's going to be mad anyway. Just stick to the plan alright?"

Riley then got to her feet and lead the way out of the room. She wasn't too happy about lying either, but she knew it's what they had to do.

It was their job.

They were liars.


	13. Chapter 13: Big Time Betrayal

**A/N: To VladdieChica, the triple threat thing wasn't a slam against you, you weren't the only one that said it and I was going to put something like that in a chapter anyway. So no worries.**

* * *

**13: **_Big Time Betrayal_

* * *

"You want us to what?" the Jacksons asked in unison, staring up at their dad.

"You heard me," Robert said in a quiet voice, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Daddy, we-" Sydney stopped when Robert turned his cold gaze to his youngest son. "I mean, sir, we can't do that. Kendall and them, they're our friends."

"Trust me, kids, you don't need any friends in the music business," Robert chuckled, shaking his head.

"But, it's not fair," Noah said quietly. "They could get in could fire Gustavo for this. Kelly would lose her job, it's not right."

"I don't care," Robert snorted.

"That's onvious," Riley muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Robert glared at her. Riley's face was contorted into a look of fury and a grimace.

"I didn't say anything," she shook her head.

"That's what I thought," Robert sighed and slid his hands into his jeans pockets. "Guys, you don't understand. This is a competition."

"How so?" Rhuben raised an eyebrow. "We're just here to make music and make it big in America. Like other people.'

"Yes, that is true, but Griffin will only pick one band to sign," Robert replied. "And right now he'll either choose you or Big ZTime Rush. It could goeither way. Now, I want this really bad and I know you do too. SO, we have to make sure we get Griffin's vote."

"I don't like this," Patrick shook his head. "It's like we're cheating."

"Sir, we could just let them have it, try somewhere else," Rhuben suggested. "Ronan wouldn't want us to-"

"Ronan doesn't matter," Robert interrupted her. "Besides, Ronan will not be your manager anymore once we leave. "

"I'm not doing it," Riley refused getting to her feet. "We're not doing it. This isn't right. You just wan the money. You don't care." Robert furiously glared at Riley before backslapping her across the face. Riley glared back at him.

"Riles, your nose," Patrick said quietly, passing her a tissue with a shaky hand. Blood had started to run out of her nose and down her lip. "It's bleeding."

"No," Robert slapped Patrick's hand away. "You can just walk around like that. But first, I have to talk to you. Get in there."

He shoved her towards her bedroom. With her head held high, Riley did what she was told and walked into her room. Robert followed close behind her and slammed the door shut. The rest of the Jacksons stayed where they swere, talking quietly to each other.

"We can't do it, it's not fair to them," Sydney said in a shaky voice, on the verge of tears. HE sniffed and wiped his eyes. "They'll lose all their hard work. No one would want to sign them."

"I know, Syd," Patrick ran his fingers through his brother's hair. "Think of what Katie would think of this." Noah bowed his head, biting his lower lip. He didn't say anything.

"We don't have a choice guys," Rhuben shook her head, staring straight ahead.

"You want to do this?" Patrick gave her a questioning look. She scowled in reply.

"Don't be stupid," she snapped. "I can't do that to Logan, or Kendall, or any of them. Knowing dad…we just don't have a choice."

"We could trick him," Noah suggested.

"Dad would kill us," Sydney whimpered.

"Dad has threatened us with that for years and yet he still hasn't done it," Patrick said getting to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest. He turned around to face his siblings and set his jaw. "If he wanted to kill us, he would have years ago. He's kept us alive for a reason."

"Yeah, for money,"Noah replied as if it was obvious. "The one thing that's really bothering me? Why doesn't Ronan do anything."

"That's like asking why we don't do anything," Rhuben whispered. Patrick looked up as he heard the bedroom door open and dropped back onto the couch. Riley walked out, her arms tightly crossed over her chest, a weird look in her eyes.

"Come on," she commanded in a strong voice. "Let's go find the guys."

Carlos stepped back from the door, breathing heavily. He kept looking up and down the hallway, lightl-y knocking his helmet with his hands. Roxas whimpered at his side, scratching at the door. Hearing footsteps near the door, Carlos dropped the leash and ran.

'_Why didn't they say anything_?' he thought, biting his lip as he hurried down the stairs to the second floor. He slowed to a stop, leaning against the handrail, breathing hard.

He hadn't heard the whole conversation. Just the phrase "he'll kill us" he or there and the words "we don't have a choice". He had never heard anybody talking to their parents like the Jacksons had. His family is a close-knit faily and even though he got really mad at them sometimes, he would never raise his voice like that.

"It all makes sense," Carlos whispered. "Why they always hang out with us and why they always stall going home. But,why wouldn't they say anything."

He sat down on the stairs, running his hands over his face. He couldn't fathom what he just heard.. Maybe he was overreacting. After all, he couldn't hear the whole cnnversation as the door was pretty think and they were talking in low voices. Carlos thought about everything that has happened sinc e they got to LA and the idea of child abuse did fit.

"Maybe the guys know, maybe that's why they're acting pretty weird," Carlos whispered. "But, why wouldn't they tell me. We tell each other everything." Carlos got o his feet, glancing up the stairs. "Maybe…hopefully I'm wrong."

* * *

"Hey guys," Sydney greeted his friends cheerfully. "What's going on?"

"We're trying to see who can stand having a mouthful of cinnamon in their mouths the longest," Katie explained, glancing up from the stop watch that was in her hand. She gave the Jackson boys a hug. "I thought it was a stupid idea, but I get five bucks for keeping time."

"Kendall and James were facing each other, their lips shut tight. They had pained expressions on their faces, as their faces slowly turned red, and tears were slowly sliding down their cheeks.

"Looks like fun," Rhuben slowly replied although she had a disgusted look on her face.

"Don't you remember, we did this once," Logan nudged her with an elbow.

"Which is why I have this look on my face," Riley smirked at him. "It's gross, and it burned my tongue so bad I couldn't taste anything for a week."

"Ha ha," Rhuben chuckled. "I won that."

"That's because you cheated," Logan insisted. "You weren't allowed to hold the cinnamon under your tongue."

"I like to call it creative strategy, Logie," Rhuben grinned mussing Logan's hair.

"Anyway, could you guys spit that out?" Riley demanded. "We've got some music stuff to talk to you about."

"This sounds important," Carlos piped up for the first time. He looked at the Jacksons in turn. "Does it have to do with your dad?"

"How'd you know that?" Patrick raised his eyebrows. Carlos mentally kicked himself.

'_Just stick to the plan, Carlos_' Carlos thought to himself. Carlos shrugged. "Just a guess."

"They're not going to stop anytime soon," Katie sighed. "How are going to get them to stop?"

"Easy," Carlos smiled. He turned to face James. "Hey James, I flushed all your Cuda products down the toilet this morning." He shrugged again, and gave James a false apologetic look. "Sorry man, it was taking up too much space in the medicine cabinet."

James coughed, sending a brown cloud to float in the air. Kendall followed suit shortly after. The two of them coughed and spluttered, gasping for air, hands on their knees. Weakly, Kendall straightened and punched the air with his fists. Carlos, Logan, Katie, and the Jacksons burst out laughing as they watched their friends try and regain control of their breathing.

"I WIN!" he shouted before lapsing into another fit of coughing.

"That doesn't count," James insisted, glaring at Carlos. "You flushed my Cuda products down the toilet? How am I going to look handsome now?"

"Yeah, and how is James going to teach me how to attract girls?" Patrick asked. He grinned sheepishly under Rhuben and Riley's gaze. "I mean, treat women with respect."

"That's what I thought you said," the twins replied in unison.

"Anyway, this music thing," Kendall asked after chugging a bottle of water that Katie handed him. "What's up?"

"Here, we have a song for you," Riley said handing him the folder that was in her hand. "It's called 'Shot in the Dark'. We wrote it, but we don't want it."

"Really?" Logan asked, exchanging looks with James. "Wait, I know you two. What's the catch?"

"There is no catch," Rhuben reassured him. "It's a good song. We just don't want to use it. We think It fits your guys' music genre better than ours. That's all."

"That's all?" Kendall repeated.

"That's all," the Jacksons said in unison.

"Anyway, we have to go record today," Patrick looked at his watch. "We'll see you guys later."

"Well, that was nice of them," Katie commented after the Jacksons left.

"Maybe too nice," Kendall said glancing at the folder and then the spot where the Jacksons were just standing. "Don't you think it's kind of weird that they suddenly give us a song they don't want?"

"They're just like that," Logan shrugged. "When Riley, Rhuben and I were younger, they would give me stuff they didn't want."

"If you're sure," Kendall sighed. "Well, let's show this to Gustavo."

* * *

"This is the best they've ever sounded," Kelly said with a grin, bobbing her head to the beat of the song. "Griffin will love this one for sure." Gustavo grunted in reply, his arms crossed over his chest as he listened to the boys sing.

"Great job boys," Kelly smiled clapping hier hands together. "That was amazing."

"Thanks, Kelly," the boys smiled and then immediately turned to face Gustavo.

"It was alright," Gustavo said giving them a thumbs up and then a thumbs down. The boys started groaning and shouting at him as they left the recording booth. A loud "AHA" made them all jump and fall silent.

Robert stormed into the room, with his kids following behind them. Carlos noticed that the Jacksons wouldn't look any of them in the eye.

"'Aha' what?" Gustavo demanded. "And what are you doing here?"

"You stole our song," Robert said jabbing a finger into Gustavo's chest.

"WHAT?" the boys yelled in unison.

"WHAT?" Gustavo repeated. "Robert, I understand you're getting older and might be forgetful of a few things, but the dogs didn't steal your song."

"Yeah, Riley said you guys didn't want to use it," Kendall said a confused look crossing his face. He tried to catch Riley's eye but she refused to look at him.

"I never said that, daddy," Riley said turning to look at Robert. "I said they could look at the lyrics. I didn't realize they kept it."

"Why would you guys steal our song?" Rhuben demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "We worked hard on it."

"Bella, we didn't steal anything, you know that," Logan pleaded with her. "You know me, I wouldn't steal anything."

"Why are people so mean?" Sydney asked, starting to cry.

"You can be sure we're going to tell Griffin about this," Robert said patting Sydney on the back. No one noticed every time Robert patted his son, he hit him harder and harder, making Sydney wince with each hit. Noah moved over to his baby brother and gave him a hug. Patrick had his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the floor. "Let's go kids."

Silently, the Jacksons followed Robert out the door. Big Time Rush exchanged shocked glances. Kelly and Gustavo hurried after Robert trying desperately to explain.

"They tricked us," James breathed.

"They wouldn't do that," Katie shook her head. "Why would they do that?"

"I don't know, Katie," Kendall snapped. He was clearly pissed off. He was pacing up and down the room, kicking at the back of the couch here and there. Katie blinked up at him. She hated it whenever Kendall yelled at her. "I don't know why they would do that. But, they did it."

'_They didn't have a choice_' Carlos thought, twisting his hands together on top of the table.

Kendall slapped his hands down on the table making everybody jump in surprise. He bent his head and let out a heavy sigh. "I just don't get it. What about you guys?"

He got a chorus of 'no' in reply. Carlos caught James, Logan, and Katie's eye before they quickly turned their heads away,

'_They know._'

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it took me a while to update this, I hope you guys will still read it.**

**-Rhuben**


	14. Chapter 14: Big Time Apology

**14: **_Big Time Apology_

_

* * *

_

"Hey, Logie," Rhuben greeted her friend the next morning.

He was sitting at one of the tables on the pool deck. He had his books around him as he was studying. He merely glanced at Rhuben as she sat down across from him, setting down a cup of pink smoothie.

"Hi," he muttered before resuming his writing in his notebook.

"It's Pink Passion Pit, your favorite," Rhuben said taking the cup and shaking it in his face.

Logan glanced at the smoothie, then at Rhuben and started packing up his stuff. Rhuben blinked, his motion a slap in the face. Logan always took the time to study with her and he's never snubbed her before.

"Logie," Rhuben tried to stop him by grabbing onto his wrist as he passed her. "I'm sorry."

"It's kind of late for sorry don't you think?" Logan asked, refusing to look at her.

"Logan, I _am _sorry. Really," Rhuben said getting to her feet. She forced Logan to turn around and look at her. "You may not believe this…but I didn't have a choice. I had to do it."

"You _had _to?" Logan scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "What did someone stick a gun in your face and tell you that you had to stab us in the back?"

"No," Rhuben replied quietly. "I didn't have a choice. Really."

"You could ruin our career," Logan snapped. He did feel bad about yelling at his best friend. HE hated seeing her upset. But she did deserve it for what she and her siblings did to him and his friends. He just really couldn't understand why she would do it.

"Why did you do it?" Logan asked tightening his grip on his backpack straps. "That's all I want to know, Bella."

Rhuben opened her mouth and hesitated, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She looked around at the kids lounging around the pool before looking back into Logan's brown eyes. He stared at her, waiting for an answer.

"I can't tell you," Rhuben said her voice barely above a whisper.

"That's what I thought," Logan shook his head slightly before turning around and storming off.

"Logan," Rhuben grabbed onto his arm, but Logan pulled his arm out of her grasp and continued walking.

Rhuben let out a heavy sigh before turning back to the table and grabbing the smoothie. She stared at it for a moment before throwing it away in the trashcan. She grabbed her backpack before heading into the PalmWoods. She paused at the door and looked back at him before pulling the door open and disappearing inside.

"Hey Camille," Logan greeted the Palm Woods method actress with a smile. She was sitting on a lawn chair reading a magazine.

"Um, hi, Logan," Camille replied slowly, dropping the magazine. "I thought you were studying with Rhuben."

"Not today," Logan replied shortly.

"She looked upset about something," Camille froqned. "Maybe I should go and-"

"No," Logan interrupter her. "No, that's 'll be fine. I was wondering if you wanted to study with me."

"With you?" Camille repeated raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, with me," Logan gave her a small smile. "We haven't really hung out in a while cause we're so busy and everything. How're your auditions going by the way?"

"Great," Camille replied slowly. "Are you sure there's nothing going on?"

"Am I that easy to read?" Logan asked lowering himself to the ground.

"Like a script," Camille replied, patting him on the knee, giving him a gentle smile. "Now, what's going on?"

"Alright, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to say anything until I'm done, ok?" Logan asked raising his eyebrows.

"Ok, ok, no problem," Camille reassured him with an easy going smile in response to his urgency.

Logan let out a heavy sigh and started into his story. True to her word, Camille didn't say a thing until he was done. Sure, she let out little squeaks and gasps of surprise, but she never said anything.

"And now Gustavo might lose his job and we could go back to Minnesota and James will never be able to fufill his dream," Logan concluded. "And I'll go back to studying to be a doctor."

"But, you _do_ want to be a doctor," Camille pointed out.

"I know," Logan nodded. "So what do you think?"

"The Jacksons wouldn't do that," Camille replied automatically.

"Yeah, well, they did," Logan muttered.

"Look, I've known them a little longer than you have," Camille said with a small smile. "I know they would never do that on purpose. Ever since you guys got here, they've been the happiest I've ever seen them."

"Really?" Logan asked his feet. Camille reached out and took his hand, gently rubbing the back of it with her thumb.

"Really."

* * *

"Well, I tired talking to Logan," Rhuben announced as she entered her apartment. She saw her brothers sitting on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"And?" they asked in unison, never removing their gaze.

"Nothing," Rhuben sighed dropping down into the empty seat next to Sydney. "He won't talk to me."

"Yeah," Sydney agreed in a quiet voice. Rhuben looked at him and saw that he was staring at the ceiling to try and stop himself from crying. "Katie won't talk to me either. She won't even open the door."

"_Guys, I'm going to try and talk to Logan," Rhuben announced earlier that morning as she came out of her room, brushing her hair. "I've left messages, but he won't call me back. I'm going to try and talk to him in person."_

"_Wait up," Sydney called racing out of the room he shared with his brothers. "I'm going down to Kendall's. Katie and I are going to do homework together." He turned and shook back and forth, his backpack sliding from side to side._

"_Alright," Rhuben said opening the front door. Sydney slipped out ahead of her. "Just call Riley if you're going to be back late." She handed him her cell phone._

"_Kay," Sydney said cheerfully before running off. Sydney hummed to himself as he rode the elevator down to the second floor. He skipped over to apartment 2J and knocked on the door. Seconds later, the door swung open and Katie stood in front of him, arms crossed over her chest. "Ji. We're doing homework together today, remember?"_

"_I already did it," Katie replied brushing her bangs out of her face. She went to close the door but Sydney put out a hand to stop it._

"_This is about the song isn't it?" Sydney asked quietly. "Kendall told you?"_

"_Kendall tells me everything," Katie replied. "What, you didn't think I'd find out?"_

"_Katie listen-"_

"_No, _you _listen," Katie interrupted him. "You shouldn't have done it." She quickly went on when Sydney opened his mouth to talk. "I don't care what your reason was. You shouldn't have done it. That was a really low blow. Here let me hand you your knife back so you can stabus with it at another convenient time."_

"_Katie-"_

_Katie took a step back and closed the door in Sydney's face. His heart sank when he heard the lock click._

"_Katie," Sydney slammed his fist on the door. "Come on, open up! I'm sorry! Open the door. KATIE!"_

"_She'll come around, son," a soft voice said. Sydney turned around and faced an older woman as she made her way down the hall. "Just give her some time. Come back later with some flowers and chocolates."_

"_Uh…thanks," Sydney sighed, bowing his head, and went back up to his apartment._

"Carlos and James don't want anything to do with us either," Patrick said quietly. Noah had his head resting on his shoulder. "They made up some lame excuse about Alpacas and rushed off."

"You guys are going about this the wrong way," Riley announced as she jumped onto her siblings' laps ignoring their cries of pain as they tried to push her off them.

"Oh yeah?" Rhuben demanded, raising an eyebrow. "How are you going to solve this problem, hot-shot?"

"You guys are trying to ask them to listen to you," Riley replied as if it was obvious. "What you have to do is you have to _make _them listen to you."

"And how are you going to do that?" Patrick and Noah asked in unison. Sydney shifted his gaze from the ceiling and moved it over to Riley, a questioning look in his eyes.

"Guys, you're talking to the girl that, in most cases depending on who I'm talking to, gets whatever she wants," Riley said with a smirk. "Now…where's Kendall?"

"If you're going after someone who will easily crack under pressure, then you'll have to go to either Carlos or James," Noah piped up in his soft voice.

"Please, they'll crack as soon as you look at them…and give you information you don't want," Patrick gave a lopsided smile despite the situation.

"So none o you guys know where Kendall is?" Riley asked getting to her feet.

"Studio," the four of them replied after a pause of silence.

"Thanks," Riley ruffled her brothers' hair before rushing out of the apartment.

* * *

"Griffin still hasn't made a decision yet?" Kendall quietly asked Kelly.

"No, not yet," Kelly replied, just as quiet. "He and Gustavo have been talking since they got here this morning. There haven been any tremors so Gustavo hasn't had a chance to tell his side of the story."

"Ok, thanks," Kendall nodded before walking out of the studio. He stopped when he saw Riley at the end of the hall, walking towards him. "I don't want to talk to you."

"Well, I want to talk to you," Riley said walking up to him.

"Yeah, well, maybe I don't want to listen," Kendall snapped.

"I don't care what you do or don't want, Kendall," Riley cried grabbing onto his arm. "But you're going to have to listen to me whether you want to or not."

"What?" Kendall asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"Let's not talk here," Riley said glancing around. "You want some ice cream?" Kendall raised an eyebrow, a suspicious look in his eyes. "My treat."

"…Fine," Kendall sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

He quietly followed her out of Rocque Records and along the five minute walk to the park. True to her word, she paid for the ice cream, no matter what he wanted. The two of them got a chocolate ice cream cone and continued on a silent walk throughout the park as they ate.

Riley sat down beneath a tree and kicked off her socks and shoes, leaning back. Kendall stood awkwardly above her for a few minutes before sitting down beside her.

"Why'd you bring me out here?" Kendall asked, bringing his knees up to his chest.

"Well, I thought you would love to enjoy the day free from any bright ideas you and your friends would have, which would probably get you in trouble with Gustavo and Bitters, and spend the afternoon with a pretty girl," Riley replied with a smirk.

"I guess I am having a good time," Kendall reluctantly admitted.

"So you think I'm pretty?" Riley asked tilting her head to the side.

"I never said that," Kendall looked at her.

"But you never denied it either," Riley pointed out. Kendall chuckled slightly and shrugged.

"Well, I've gotta admit you are one of the prettiest girls I've seen sicne we got here," he said looking up at the clouds above him.

"Thank you," Riley smiled.

"Why did you bring me out here?" Kendall repeated.

"To apologize," Riley replied shortly. "I'm sorry about what we did. It wasn't fair to you guys at all. And I'm not big on apologizing to anybody, so you can believe every word I just said."

"I just don't get why you did it in the first place," Kendall shook his head.

"You won't believe me when I say this…but I didn't have a choice," Riley shook her head.

"Everyone has a choice," Kendall replied.

"Yeah well, not me," Riley brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Sure in some cases, we get a say in what music we want to do covers for or what originals we want to put on our CD. But, we never get a say of how long we practice, how we perform the songs, or even if we want to be a triple threat. Our dad commandeers our life. That's where you're lucky."

"How am I lucky?" Kendall asked, defensively. He was always sensitive on the subject of his dad. "At least you have a dad. I don't. I have to work to help make sure my mom and Katie are doing well."

"Your mom can do fine by herself," Riley replied. "She can take care of you and Katie _and _do whatever she wants. Try doing what I do; I have to cook for my siblings, and clean, and make sure they get their homework done, and pretty much be their parent."

"You're just a kid," Kendall shaking his head.

"I'm 16 and so are you," Riley shot back. "At least you have a mom. I'd give everything to have a mom."

"At least you have a dad," Kendall shot back getting to his feet. "I'd give anything to have my dad back. You have yours you should be happy."

"And you have your mom, _you _should be happy," Riley got to her feet. "At least you've known your dad. I never knew my mom."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Kendall asked, rolling his eyes.

"It's supposed to make you think realistically," Riley's blue eyes were flashing dangerously. "You don't have to do everything for your mom."

"Last time I checked she didn't have a job here," Kendall snapped. "I do; singing. That's the only way we can keep the money coming in. Unlike you; who has a father who can afford everything for you."

"Oh yeah, also my dad who likes to drink, who stays out late, who doesn't want anything to do with his kids and pushes us around," Riley snapped. "Yeah, I_ love_ having a dad like that."

She raised her hand to scratch the back of her neck, but Kendall grabbed her wrist, stopping her. He turned her hand over and stared at the bruises underneath her wrist. Riley tried to pull her wrist out from his grasp, but he held on tighter.

"Riles," Kendall looked into her blue eyes, daring her to lie to him. "Did your dad do that?" He licked his lips and let out a breath of air. "Does your dad hit you?"


	15. Chapter 15: Big Time Confession

**A/N: Ok guys, this is the longest chapter I've written. It's also the most emotional one I've written too. I hope you like it.**

* * *

**15: **_Big Time Confession_

* * *

"Riley, does he?" Kendall demanded, getting annoyed with Riley's silence. Riley pulled her wrist out of Kendall's grasp, refusing to look at him. "Oh my god, he does."

"Hm, this is the longest I've gone in a new place without someone finding out," Riley commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

"This isn't funny," Kendall snapped. Riley looked at him and raised her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, because last time I checked, pain is _so funny_," she said before rolling her eyes. "Don't give me that look."

"What look?" Kendall questioned.

"The 'Why-didn't-you-tell-me-I-thought-we-were-friends=look'. That look," Riley replied. "Because Kendall, child abuse is something so simple to bring up in casual conversation."

"Are you always sarcastic when someone corners you?" Kendall ran his fingers through his hair.

"After a while, you learn to make sarcastic comments to everything," Riley slid her hands into her jeans pockets. "The easiest way to change the topic of conversation from my dad or my family life. I assume by now you wonder why we treat Sydney like a 5 year old."

"I didn't want to say anything," Kendall admitted. "It _is _pretty odd. I mean, Katie only acts that way when she wants something."

"Look, we've all had to grow up really quickly," Riley replied. "Sydney's never really had a proper childhood. Part of the time his mindset is that of him being a little kid, having no care in the world. Then another part is him being the famous, adorable, genius we know now." A smirk came to her face. "Once he figured that out himself, he's been milking it for all he's worth. But, we don't mind all that much."

"But, Riley-"

"But, nothing," Riley interrupted him. "I already know what you're going to say. I'm not going to tell anybody. We're safe. We can handle it. Rhuben and I, we take most of the beating to keep our brothers safe. We're fine."

"No, you're _not _fine," Kendall insisted. "If you don't get help, he's going to kill you."

"He hasn't yet," Riley replied quietly.

"You're…you're-"

"What a great comeback," Riley laughed. "Stuttering!"

"Don't you get it?" Kendall cried, grabbing onto her shoulders, forcing hr to look at him. "Your abuse is what makes you hard to trust people. It's why you act out. It's why you-"

"It's why we framed you for stealing our song," Riley said quietly, nodding her head. Kendall swallowed, before dropping his arms and taking her hand. "What are you doing?" Kendall started to pull her out of the park.

"We're going to get you help," he replied.

"NO, you can't!" Riley suddenly looked scared. "Stop, Kendall. You can't tell anybody!"

"Riley, he's hurting you," Kendall shouted at her. HE immediately felt bad when he saw her flinch.

"He's…he's just mad, and stressed," Riley replied. "Kendall, if you tell anybody, if the police get involved, we'll be split up."

"But, you'll be safe," Kendall insisted.

"But, we won't be happy," Riley replied. "Rhuben, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney are the only family I have. They need me and I need them. We'll b put into a foster home. They'll take Sydney no problem. Maybe somebody would adopt Patrick and Noah. But, Rhuben and I are too old. We'd be stuck there. And who knows? Maybe our brothers won't be adopted by the same family. Maybe they won't live in the same state. I can't let that happen."

Kendall stared at her. She was on the verge of tears as she spilled out her fears. She hastily wiped at her face, refusing to cry. Kendall stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"Let go of me," Riley fought against hi, refusing to be held, but he only held onto her tighter. "Let go! I hate you! I hate you!"

"No you don't," Kendall said gently, although the words hurt him ven more than she would ever know. Breathing heavily, Riley slowly stopped struggling, and gripped tightly onto his shirt.

"You can't always be there to protect them," Kendall said quietly. Riley forcefully pushed him away. Kendall stumbled, nearly tripping over his own two feet.

"Just watch me," Riley hissed before running off.

"Riley!" Kendall shouted, running after her. She refused to stop or turn around. "Riles!" He stopped, putting his hands on his knees, breathing hard. "Damn it!" He straightened, running his fingers through his hair.

* * *

"And she just blew you off like that?" Logan asked, looking up from his laptop. "She must be really scared. I've only seen her cry on few occasions; the one time I accidentally broke her arm, and when-"

"Wait, you broke her arm?" Jasmes raised his eyebrows, an amused look on his face. "_You_? How'd you pull that off?"

"That's not important," Katie snapped. She turned to her brother, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm all up for helping. Noah told me everything and-"

"Wait, Noah told you?" Kendall put up his hands. "You knew?" He looked up at the sudden silence and saw all of his friends exchanging glances. "All of you knew."

"They made us promise we wouldn't say anything," Carlos said quietly, spinning his hockey helmet in his hands.

Yeah, well I was more or less threatened," James dryly commented. Seeing the confused looks on his friends' faces, he continued on. "Rhuben told me."

"I just found out myself," Logan quickly supplied.

"I heard them all talking about it," Carlos admitted. He let out a sigh. "I didn't know whether I should tell you guys or not. Abuse, is a scary thing. I didn't know what to do."

"None of us did," Logan replied. He really looked troubled. "Guys, we have to do something. I mean these are my-" He stopped and looked at all of his friends. "These ar _our _best friends. If we don't do anything, they could die."

"Let's try and get them all here, talk to them, like an intervention," Kendall suggested. "Katie, you get Patrick and Noah here. Logan, you get Bella and Riley, James you go and get Camille and Carlos get Sydney. I'll go tell Ronan and get him and mom here."

* * *

Ronan sang to himself as he listened to the song the Jacksons had just recorded, pausing it every once in a while, writing down a small note on the notebook in his lap.

He stretched his arms over his head, nd nearly dropped out of the chair in fright when he felt himself hit something. He pulled the headphones off his ears nad placed them on the soundboard before he turned around, facing Kendall.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Kendall gave a small smile.

"That's alright," Ronan replied sitting straight up. "What can I do for you?"

"That sounded pretty good," Kendall pointed at the soundboard. "New song?"

"Cover of a song by Nickelback they just recorded," Ronan replied. He peered hard at Kendall. "That's not the real reason why you're here is it?"

"Man, you're even more like the Jacksons then I thought," Kendall chuckled. "They're pretty good at reading people."

"The more you get to know people the easier it is for you to figure out if something is off with someone," Ronan explained. He ran a hand over his face. "This is about them isn't it?" He paused, biting his lower lip, glancing down at his shoes before he looked Kendall in the eye. "About their abuse?"

"You know?" Kendall's eyes widened. "For sure?"

"Yes, I do," Ronan nodded, motioning for Kendall to sit. Kendall politely refused with a small shake of his head. "That'd why the police questioned them that other time. Their dad is so great at manipulating them. He made them lie to the police about the whole thing. I've been trying, ever since I found out, to help them. But, Robert is always one step ahead of me."

"I need your help," Kendall replied. "We're getting everyone to try and convince them that they're not safe while they're still living with their dad. We're trying to convince them to turn Robert in."

"I'll do anything I can to help," Ronan said getting to his feet. "But, it's really only Riley and RHuben you need to convince. Patrick, Noah, and Sydney listen to everything they say. Sure, whatever situation they're in, they all have a meeting about it, giving their own opinion on what to do, but in the end, Riley and Rhuben make the ultimate decision."

"Thanks, it means a lot," Kendall said with a small smile. A smirk slowly slid onto Ronan's face, a playfull look in his eyes despite the situation they were currently in. "What?"

"You really like her, don't you?" Ronan quietly questioned. Kendall gaped at him as he headed out of his office. "Your apartment right?"

"Why are we here?" Rhuben demanded, her arms crossed over her chest.

She and her siblings were sitting on the couch in the Knight apartment Everyone was standing up around them, worried looks on their faces.

"You know why we're here," Kendall said quietly. "I asked everybody here to help."

"Help what?" Sydney asked quietly, his blue eyes wide with wonder.

"…Help convince you to turn your dad in for child abuse," Ronan said after a pause. The Jacksons' faces didn't show surprise or shock, they were void of any emotion. Everyone in the room just stared at each other.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Camille asked, breaking the silence. Her voice shook as she tried to stop herself from crying. Logan gently patted her hand. Rhuben eyed him, scowling.

"Well, that's why!" she spat, nodding in Camille's direction. "We don't want anyone feeling sorry for us. We have everything under control."

"Do you?" Mrs. Knight asked, dropping down to her knees in front of the Jacksons. "Would you say you have it under control once one of you die?" Riley glared off into the distance, her hands curled up into fists. "We just want what's best for you."

"Well, stop, ok?" Riley snapped. "You're not our mom." She then glared at Ronan. "And you're not our dad. Stop treating us like a bunch of little kids. Stop telling us what to do." She got to her feet, her voice rising at every word she said until she was yelling. "So stop telling us what to do. Stop acting like you care!"

Mrs. Knight recoiled as if Riley slapped her. She straightened and backed up a fe paces. Kendall gently patted her on the shoulder. Mrs. Knight placed her hand on top of his and gave it a little squeeze.

"Riles," Patrick said quietly.

Riley turned and looked at him. He, Noah, and Rhuben stared up at her, looking like they wanted to say something. Sydney was silently crying, his head buried into Noah's chest, tears sliding down his red cheeks. Katie gave Sydney a small smile, sitting down in front of the couch, taking his hand and gently squeezing it.

"We just care," James said quietly. "A lot."

"Well stop caring," Riley commanded. She then turned her gaze full of anger to her siblings. "You told them. After we promised that we wouldn't."

"Hey, don't turn the blame on us," Rhuben shouted, getting to her feet. "_You _told too. It's _your _fault too."

"Shut up," Riley shoved Rhuben.

"No, _you _shut up," Rhuben shoved her back.

"Both of you, just…_shut up_," Patrick demanded, jumping in between the two of them. Riley and Rhuben looked like they were getting ready to attack each other. He let out a heavy sigh, bowing his head. "We're sorry. We're sorry we've never told anybody. It…we had to think of our fans. We didn't want them to feel sorry for us."

"We had to think of a lot of things," Noah added in his quiet voice. "Everyday we got together, asking if we were really doing the right thing, keeping it a secret. We're sorry we made you all worry and-"

"Just turn your dad in," Logan spoke up. "He'll go to jail. For a long time, you wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore." He paused then looked over at Ronan. "Besides, I'm sure some other adult in your life would be willing to adopt you."

All the attention was now on Ronan. "Look, you guys know I want what's best for you," he said quietly. "I would even sit by and let your dad tell you to go back to Australia if I thought it was a good move for your careers. Right now, I don't even care about your career. I care about your lives. I want to see you happy. And you've been the happiest I've ever seen you when you're around these guys." He motioned over to Big Time Rush. "Please, just turn in your dad."

James grabbed the phone off the counter and handed it to Rhuben. Her hands shook as she took it. "He's going to be mad," she whispered, her voice shaking. "He'll be madder than I've ever seen him."

"That may be true, but it's the right thing, you wouldn't have to scared about whether or not you'll live till the next day," Mrs. Knight whispered.

"No, just whether or not he'd ever get out of jail," Riley's voice dripped with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. "He's never really going to go away. And how do you know we'll ever recover from this?"

"We'll just tke it one day at a time," Camille offered.

"We're your friends," Logan added. "We hate seeing you this way. We just want you to be happy."

"Like when we executed all of Kendall's plans together," Carlos supplied, with a half smile. His smile grew wider when he saw the half smiles on the Jacksons' faces as they thought about it. "And I need my two partners in crime." Patrick and Noah exchanged identical smiles.

"And who else am I going to show how to keep up with their hair?" James asked Patrick, cracking a smile himself.

"And what will I do without my best friends?" Logan asked, looking from Riley to Rhuben. "You guys helped convince my mom to let me stay. And we've been through a lot of trouble together."

"And a girl needs to have girl friends," Camille added. "Someone to have Katie to look up to and have some girl-time with."

"Don't you know it's girl time," Carlos sang under his breath. Logan and James rolled their eyes and pushed him off the stool he was sitting on.

"And where am I going to find someone who can think up plans as good as me?" Kendall asked, his eyes on Riley. "I won't be able to outsmart Gustavo without you."

"Why do I get the feeling that I don't know half the stuff that goes on with you guys?" Mrs. Knight asked.

"Because you don't," Ronan replied shortly. "Trust me, even _I _don't want to know everything they get into."

They all froze when they heard a pounding on the door. No one moved to get the door. The punding started to get even more louder and harder.

"Open up, I know my kids are in there!" Robert's voice sounded on the other side of the door.

"Yeah come on, we have to record," Gustavo's voice was next.

"I don't know what's worse, your dad yelling or Gustavo yelling," Kendall muttered getting up to get the door. As soon as he twisted the door handle, he was pushed to the side as the door burst open.

"Come on kids, we have to go, we have a lot to do," Robert said rapidly snapping his figners as he stormed over to hi kids.

The Jacksons immediately got to their feet, avoiding their fathers gaze. Katie stood up, gently pulling Sydney backwards. Gustavo and Kelly marched into the apartment after him. Kelly stopped seeing the looks on everybody's faces.

"Um, maybe this isn't the best time," Kelly said in a quiet voice.

"No, you need to hear this," Kendall said closing the door, pressing his back against the cool metal. He locked eyes with Riley. "Tell them."

"What's going on here?" Robert demanded.

"You guys didn't steal the song, Shot in the Dark," Riley said to Gustavo, although she was keeping her eyes on her dad.

"What do you mean?" Kelly asked as Gustavo crossed her arms over her chest, a confused glare on his face.

"No, you didn't," Rhuben supplied after Riley flinched under her dad's gaze. "We willingly gave it to you guys then accused you of stealing it because our dad made us tell you that."

"He did, did he?" Gustavo roared. The Jacksons clapped their hands over their ears.

"Um, yelling isn't the best idea in this situation," Carlos gently pointed out. Seeing the look on Gustavo's face, he immediately fell silent.

"What are you doing?" Robert hissed, shaking with anger.

"You guys probably don't know this, but our bands are competing for the only slot for Griffin to sign," Patrick added. "We wanted to back out, give you the spot because we've been around longer, but dad didn't want us to just hand it over."

"We wrote the song, and then dad said the easiest way to get rid of you was to make Griffin think you stole it so he could fire you," Noah added.

"We all felt really bad about it," Sydney added, wiping at his cheeks. "He's been…hitting us for as long as…well _I _can remember. We've all had to grow up so fast, me especially. Dad always took his anger out on us. He's forced us to do this appearance, this concert, this photo shoot, not to be friends with so and so. But, we're tired of it."

Kelly gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth. She turned to Logan, James, and Carlos, a questioning look on her face. They slowly nodded and a look of fear crossed her face.

"What are you doing?" Robert demanded once again.

"Getting rid of you," Riley snapped. "We're tired of you pushing us around and hitting us. We're tired of doing what you wants us to and not what we want to."

"You," Robert roared turning to Ronan. "_You _put them up to this. You're going to pay for that you little-"

"Get out of my apartment," Mrs. Knight interrupted him.

"No, he's staying here until the police arrest him," Ronan corrected her, motioning for Logan to grab the phone and make the call. Robert glared at all of them before turning on his heels to leave the apartment. Robert looked like he wouldn't let anything get in his way. Unfortunately for Kendall, _he was_. Riley and Rhuben raced after her dad.

"You're not leaving, sir," Kendall pressed his back harder against the door.

He let out a yell of pain when Robert backslapped him. Mrs. Knight and Katie let out identical sounds of shock. He dropped down to the ground, backing up, holding his stinging cheek. Robert started to open the apartment door, but Rhuben slammed into his back, causing him to slam it shut. She grabbed onto his arms, twisting them behind his back.

"The police are on their way.

"You kids will pay for this," Robert shouted as handcuffs were slapped onto his wrists. "I'll get you. You're going to wish you never met me."

"Say any more and you'll be in jail for life," Patrick commented dryly, holding open the door for the police as they lead him out.

"We're going to have to have you kids testify," one of the officers asid, politely removing his ha as he stood in the doorway. "We'll call you once the court date comes up. Is there any other relative you have that could keep you?"

"Robert adopted us," Patrick replied exchanging confused glances with hissiblings. "I don't-I don't know if-"

"I can take them," Ronan piped up. "I'm a registered Foster parent, I can take them in. I'd like to adopt them too if that's possible."

"Well, we're going to have to be sure you're living in a safe environment well fitted for kids," the police officer said with a sigh, placing his hat back on his head. "We'll keep you posted. Have a nice evening everyone. Oh, and I suggest you try not to go out what with all the paparazzi trying to get the story out first."

"Well, there goes our career," Rhuben said with a sigh, dropping down on to the couch. She let out a heavy sigh. "What did we do to deserve this."

"Nothing," everybody replied in unison. She cracked a smile.

"Thank you, all of you," Sydney said quietly, his gaze on the floor. "And we're sorry about everything." They all jumped when they heard a knocking sound. A police officer came into the room, walking Roxas on his leash.

"Sorry, but this little dog has been barking his head off in your apartment," the officer apologized. Sydney smiled and grabbed the leash from the police officer, bending down and giving his dog a hug. "We're safe now, boy. You have nothing to worry about anymore."

"Are you ok?" Riley asked, walking over to Kendall. Some paramedics were checking out his bloody nose .Turns out he also split part of his lip and he had a good sized cut on his cheek from when Robert slapped him. He had a ring on his finger, which cut his cheek. "That looks bad."

"I'm ok," he groaned, gently touching his nose. He had a wad of tissue up to his nose. "Standing in his way was kind of stupid."

"Stupidly brave," Riley commented with a smirk. "Thanks."

"No problem,' Kendall smiled, wincing slightly. "Anything for you guys. Like Logan said, you guys are our best friends. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you guys." Riloey peered at him, an amused look on her face. "What?"

"You know back there, in the park, when you went to grab my wrist, before you asked me about my dad," Riley replied slowly. Kendall raised his eyebrows, a questioning look on his face. "It seemed like you were going to kiss me."

"Oh…no," Kendall shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no that wasn't it at all."

"Right," Riley nodded. She gently patted his knee before going over to her siblings, rounding them up for a group hug, Sydney at the center.-


	16. Chapter 16: Big Time Date Pt 1

**16: **_Big Time Date Part 1_

_

* * *

_

"LOGAN! FOR THE THOUSAND-BILLIONTH TIME-"

"You know that's not a real number," Logan pointed out, a 'duh' look on his face. Rhuben stopped pacing, raising her eyebrows as she gave Logan a hard stare. He nervously cleared his throat. "Sorry, continue with your rant, please."

"Thank you," RHuben replied calmly. "_DON'T_ THROW YOUR ARMS _OUT _AT THE 'POSE' PART OF THE CROSS-LEG-TURN-POSE!"She ran her hand over her face, making a noise of annoyance. "I don't think Patrick will be that understanding if you break his nose. I mean you already gave him a nose bleed."

"I dwear, I'b bine," Patrick replied, sitting in the corner of the room. His head was tilted back and he had a tissue shoved up his nose. Katie was sitting beside him, helping him hold up the tissue.

"Yeah, I mean, Noah would be in the same predicament, if he didn't have fast enough reflexes to duck," Riley added.

"Sorry, sorry," Logan replied, a pained expression on his face.

"Whose idea was it to hire Rhuben to replace Mr. X as our choreographer?" Carlos whispered under his breath. "She's just as bad as Gustavo."

"Only she's a girl," Kendall added.

"And she's hot," James said with a nod.

"I heard that," Rhuben snapped. "But, thanks for the compliment, James."

"Anytime, sweet thang," James replied flashing her a charming smile. Despite Rhuben's annoyance, she couldn't help but let a smile come to her face. Logan raised his eyebrows at her, a smirk coming to his face. Rhuben stuck her tongue out at him in reply.

"Ok, you guys should take a break," Riley called clapping her hands together. She put her hand up in Rhuben's face when she saw the look of protest on it. "You're going to run them to the ground if you don't let them have at least ten minutes to rest."

"I now see where the term blood, sweat, and tears comes from," Carlos groaned, dropping to the ground. Sydney laughed standing above him. He had Carlos's hockey helmet on his head. With it being too big for him, it kept sliding down his face.

"It's a good thing none of you guys have ever said the words 'I can't," his dimples appeared in his cheeks as he gave his friend a smug smile, handing him a towel. "How old are you?"

"16, why?" Carlos asked, peering up at him.

"Because if you said anything along the lines of 'I can't' then Rhu-Rhu would have you doing sixteen push ups," Noah replied getting to his feet. He was crouched down beside his brother, making sure that he was ok.

"Sixteen push ups isn't so bad," Kendall said with a shrug before taking a large swing from his water bottle.

"Well, let me tell ya, you start hating your age after you have to do those sixteen push ups, _each and every _time you say those two hell words," Riley said rolling her eyes. "I swear, my sister is a nazi." She let out a 'hey' of protest when Rhuben aimed a kick at her butt.

"How can you be so pretty, but such a control freak when it comes to dancing?" James asked, looking up at Rhuben.

"I could probably ask you the same thing about your obsession with your hair," she shot back. "What's with all of the compliments today?" James widened his eyes in innocence. "Oh wait, let me guess, you guys are all trying to keep us happy so we don't think about dad and all that."

"Word of advice, if you're gong to do that…don't," Patrick stated, pulling the tissue out of his nose. "We hate it when people are being sympathetically happy with us." He turned and smiled at Katie. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"No problem," Katie lightly slapped his arm, grabbing the blood soaked tissues and throwing them away in the corner. He gave him a warm smile in return, brushing her hair behind her ear. Noah sighed before walking over to Sydney.

"Tell me the truth," he said quietly. "Do you think she likes him?" Sydney raised an eyebrow, looking up at him. "I know you aren't going to be interested in girls for a while but you _are _really perceptive about stuff."

"I don't know," Sydney whispered in reply. "But, I can tell that Patrick likes her."

"Do you think I have a shot asking her out?" Noah asked, wiping his hands on his pants. "I've been wanting to for a while, but, you know-"

"You're a nervous wreck,' Sydney pointed out. "Look, just be yourself, she can't hate you for it."

"Ok, yeah, that's good," Noah rapidly nodded. "Ok, I'll go ask her right now."

"Uh, wait a minute," Sydney grabbed onto Noah's wrist, stopping him from moving. "I know you hate hearing this, but you could be a _little _more like Patrick." Noah gave him a confused look. "You can be a little more outgoing and not really your quiet self."

"I can be outgoing, no problem," Noah said, a look of uncertainty crossing his features. He cleared his throat, rolling his shoulders back. "Ok, here I go." He walked over to where Patrick and Katie were talking quietly to each other. "Um, Katie?" He tapped her on the shoulder to get his attention. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure," Katie smiled at him as he gently pulled her away from Patrick. "Is something wrong?"

"Um, well," Noah cleared his throat again, tugging at the bottom of his shirt. "Um, would you…at all…possibly…want to go get ice cream sometime? With me? O-on…a date?"

"Oh," Katie's eyes widened slightly as a blush crept up her cheeks. She slid her hands into her pockets, an embarrassed smile crossing her face. "Yeah, ok, that sounds like fun."

"Ok, great," Noah smiled letting out a breath of air. "Yeah, that's sounds really-" Noah stumbled backwards over one of the guys' bags, landing in a heap on the floor in the corner. Blushing in embarrassment, he could hear Patrick's loud laugh. Noah glared at his brother as he got to his feet. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"Aw, that's so sweet, my sister has her first date,' Kendall beamed giving Katie a big hug.

"Put me down and if you tease me about this I will tell this whole building what happened on _you_-"

"Ok, ok, I get the point," Kendall immediately dropped Katie, a sour look on his face. "Man, you try and be a supportive big brother."

The door burst open, making all of them jump and Gustavo and Kelly walked into the room. Gustavo looked around at all of the lounging kids.

"Why don't I see the dogs dancing?" Gustavo demanded. Spotting Rhuben he stormed over to her. "WHY AREN'T THEY DANCING?"

"Ok, you _really _did not want to do that," Sydney took the helmet off his head, holding it out to Gustavo "Here you're going to want to use this." He jumped as Gustavo reached out a hand, batting the helmet from Sydney's hands.

"My baby," Carlos shrieked diving after it.

"Ok, 2 things," Rhuben said through clenched teeth.

"Uh oh, she's going to pop," Logan said in a stage whisper. "Everybody duck for cover."

"1: DON'T YELL AT ME," Rhuben shouted, causing Gustavo to back up a few paces. "2: You have nothing to worry about, they'll do fine. Now, where's the money you promised me."

"You'll get the money after the music video," Gustavo said waving his hand in the air.

"MUSIC VIDEO?" everybody in the room yelled at the same time.

"Yes, you dogs will be shooting the music video for your song Any Kind of Guy," Kelly explained. "We've been spending the last few hours trying to find perfect locations for the shoot and trying to come up with a good story line."

"Since this is a love song, I'm going to need you guys to act opposite girls in a date like setting," Gustavo went on, ignoring the excited looks from Big Time Rush, He then turned to the Jacksons. "Now, this is where you guys come in. Ronan and I decided that it would be a good idea to put you guys in the music video."

"Huh?" the Jacksons exchanged confused looks.

"Once your fans find out about the music video, they'll become fans of songs from Big Time Rush," Kelly replied with a smile. "This is a great opportunity for you guys. Not to mention Riley you have to kiss Kendall in the music video."

Riley coughed, spitting out the water that she just drank from her water bottle. "Excuse me?" she questioned, choking for air. "I have to _what_?"

"Gustavo you can't be serious," Kendall said a somewhat desperate look on his face.

"That's my final decision," Gustavo declared. "You can go home now." With that, he turned on his heel and marched out of the room, Kelly hurrying after him.

"And here I thought James always got the girl," Logan said with a laugh. Noticing the look on Riley's face, he quickly turned his laugh into a cough. "Sorry."

"Alright, don't panic," Rhuben said putting up her hands. "I'm good at getting things to go my way. Just give me five minutes." She exited the room.

"By getting things her way, does she mean-"

"Yelling at people until they're a blubbering blob of mess?" Logan asked, finishing James' question. "Yes, yes it does."

"So do you really think she can do this?" Kendall asked wringing his hands together. "I mean, not that I don't want to kiss you, it's just-"

"Don't worry, I get it," Riley said giving him a small smile. Everyone turned towards the door as Rhuben walked back in, an annoyed look on her face. "Well?"

"I have to kiss James," she said through clenched teeth.

"Honestly, I don't see how that's a problem," James said, pulling his lucky comb out of his pocket, swiping it through his hair. He stopped when he saw everybody look at him. "What?"

"That's not it," Sydney said peering at his sister. "What's the matter?"

"Gustavo wants us to have 'chemistry' so he demands that Kendall and James take Riles and I out on a date," Rhuben added. Carlos, Logan, Patrick, Noah, Sydney, and Katie exchanged looks before they all burst out laughing. "I'm glad you see the humor in this because then you can tell me why this is so funny."

"It's just…the whole situation," Katie said in between laughs. "It's just so funny."

"Well, if we have to have 'girlfriends' for the music video I guess we should go out and try and find someone," Carlos said elbowing Logan in the side. "You should ask Camille."

"No, I shouldn't," Logan immediately replied.

"Why not? It'll be good for her resume and she hasn't had an acting job in a while," Riley suggested. "Besides, I think you two would make a cute couple."

"No, I mean, I've never asked a girl out before," Logan slowly replied, gauging his friends reactions to see if they were going to laugh at him.

"Oh, I could help you with that, no problem," Rhuben said giving her friend a one armed hug. "Besides, she won't say 'no' to you, she's already, like, in love with you."

"That's great," Logan said with a wide smile.

"So, who are you going to ask?" Kendall asked Carlos.

"Either Sandy or Mandy or one of the Jennifers," Carlos replied with a confident smile. "Once they see how charming I can be, it should be no problem for one of them to say 'yes' to me."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Katie said with a snort as Carlos's friends clapped him on the back.

* * *

"Ok, this is really easy, all you have to do is walk up to her, and act aloof," Rhuben whispered to Logan as they crouched down behind one of the bushes around the Paln Woods pool. "Hey, do I really have to wear this bush hat thing? She can't see us."

"Yes, you have to wear it because it's part of the effect," Logan hissed back. He then cleared his throat. "Aloof? I could do that, no problem."

"Alright, now once you get to her, just strike up some normal conversation and then ask her out," Rhuben said shoving Logan away from her.

His bush hat slipped off his head and he stumbled before quickly regaining his balance. He cleared his throat, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets and started to walk over to Camille, who was sitting in a lounge chair.

"What the-where did that stupid strut come from?" RHuben hissed. "I didn't tell him to strut."

"Hey, how's the coaching going?" James popped up beside Rhuben.

"Where'd you get the hat?" Rhuben asked, looking at the bush hat on his head.

"I found it on the ground," James replied before peering over at Logan. "Really? A sweater-vest? He could at least change his clothes."

"Don't knock the sweater vest," Rhuben snapped back. "I think it's cute on him." She paused, backtracking, trying to figure out what she had just said. '_Did I really just say I thinkLogan looks cute? Man, I must be losing it. It has to be the heat_.'

"So, what is he trying to do?" James asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Be aloof," Rhuben replied. "Be quiet, I can't hear anything.'

"Be aloof, be aloof, be aloof," Logan recited to himself as he made his way over to Camille.

"Hey, Logan," Camille greeted with a wide smile. She shoved her book bag off the chair that was sitting next to her. "What's up?" She patted the seat next to her. Logan hesitated looking over his shoulder in Rhuben's direction. She and James gave him a thumb's up and he sat down.

"So, about our date-"

"Later, James, I'm trying to help my bestie here," Rhuben whispered.

"Well, what advice did you give him?" James asked.

"I told him to be aloof," Rhuben replied. She sighed when she saw the confused look on james' face. "I mean, I told him to be confident and relaxed like you." James chuckled, a smile on his face, running his hands through his hair.

"Well, I mean it always works for me, because, you know, I'm the face," James pursed his lips, doing an odd hand movement.

"Never do that again," Rhuben shook her head.

"Right, sorry," James apologized.

"Logan?" Camille repeated his name, getting a little freaked out by the frozen smile on his face. "Logan, are you ok?"

"Uh, I'm great, perfect, fine, super," Logan recited clicking his tongue as he gave her the gun hand signal. "I couldn't be better."

"Did you want something?" Camille asked, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Because you kind of look like you want to ask me something."

"Uh, uh, uh, I do, I _totally _do," Logan laughed gently punching her on the arm. "You see, uh." He started laughing uncontrollably. "Bye."

He jumped to his feet and speed walked away. Rhuben grabbed onto his ankle as he walked bay, causing Logan to emit a high pitched yell as Rhuben pulled him to the ground.

"I said to be aloof _not _a doof," she cried, slapping him on the arm.

"Ow, sorry!" Logan shouted getting to his feet. "It's just really hard! I mean, who ever thought asking, 'Will you go out with me' would be so hard to say?"

"I'd love to go out with you, Logan," Camille gushed, stepping out from behind him.

"Apparently it's not that hard," James commented.

"You were asking me, right/" Camille asked peering over at Rhuben. Rhuben's eyes widened.

"No, no, he wasn't asking me," she said waving her hands in the air. "I mean, this is Logan we're talking about. We've known each other since we were five. I don't like him in…that way. Not at all. Nope."

Yeah, what she said," Logan smiled letting out a sigh of relief. "So, you will go out with me?"

"Let's talk, Logie," Camille said with a smile, looping her arm through his. "As long as this doesn't bother you."

"No, go ahead, be merry, be happy," Rhuben smiled, gently pushing them away.

"That's going to bother you, isn't it?" James asked, looping his arm around Rhuben;s waist. She sighed, resting her head on his chest.

"Shut up."

* * *

**A/N: Be sure to check out my new BTR story _Big Time Rush of Adrenaline. _Also, check out my sister Riley's BTR stories: _Big Time Rivalry, _and _Big Time Adventure_.**

**-Rhuben  
**


	17. Chapter 17: Big Time Terror

**17: **_Big Time Terror_

* * *

"Ok, Logan is going out with Camille, I'm going out with Riles, James with Rhuben, Katie with Noah, and that leaves Carlos," Kendall announced as he and his friends sat down in their apartment at the couch.

"Oh, you guys are going out on dates?" Mrs. Knight asked, a wide smile on her face. "That's wonderful . Oh, and Katie, this is your first date! Oh, my baby." She scooped her daughter up in a giant hug. Katie's arms were pinned down by her side.

"Too tight, mom, too tight," Katie choked out. Mrs. Knight apologized as she dropped her daughter. "Besides, this is no big deal. Noah and I are going out to get ice cream, that's all."

"No, that's not all," Kendall protested. "What about Patrick? How do you think _he's _going to take this? He likes you too ya know."

"I can deal with him myself thanks," Katie replied crossing her arms over her chest, although she had an uncertain look on her face.

"I'd feel a little more comfortable if one of you guys went along with her," Mrs. Knight said raising her eyebrows at her son and his friends. James, Logan, and Kendall immediately turned to look at Carlos.

"Why me?" he questioned. "Why not Logan? Camille and Katie are friends."

"Because, because, because," Logan repeated trying to find a good excuse. "Because James…yeah, James and Rhuben are going on a double date with me and Camille. Right James?" He rapidly winked at his hair obsessed friend.

"What's wrong with your eye, man?" James asked, staring back at his friend. Logan rolled his eyes muttering something under his breath about 'hair obsessed moron.'

They were all back in apartment 2J after their long day of trying to find someone to ask out. Actually in James, Logan, and Kendall's case it was trying to decide what they were going to do on their dates. Anyway, they told each other to meet back up in their apartment later on to discuss everything. As luck would have it, Carlos was the only one without a date.

"Actually, I'd rather have Kendall come with me," Katie replied quickly.

"What?" Kendall whipped his head to look at her. "No offense Kates, I love you and all, but I don't want to double date with my sister." Katie let out a sigh, rubbing her temples.

"You know, I _do _have reasoning behind everything I say," she pointed out to him. He just gave her a confused look and she slapped herself in the forehead. "Oh my god. Kendall, corner!"

"I don't see why-"

"_Now_!" Katie snapped, jabbing thumb in the direction over her shoulder. Kendall immediately got to his feet and sped-walked over to the corner. Katie joined him, arms crossed over her chest. "Ok, so I thought you were smarter than you actually are."

"What are you talking about, Katie?" Kendall asked running ahand through his hair.

"You and I are both going out with a Jackson sibling, right?" Katie asked raising her eyebrows. Kendall nodded. "So, if you need help trying to win over Riley or something, who better to ask then-"

"Noah," Kendall nodded, suddenly realizing the point she was getting to. "And if he needs help he can ask me.'

"Exactly," Katie smiled.

"You a rea genious, little sis," Kendall smiled as they did their secret handshake.

"I know," Katie smiled and the two of them made their way back over to their friends.

"Yeah, Carlos, I'll go with Katie," Kendall announced, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets. "I'll just call Riley and ask if that's ok with her." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and paused, realizing he didn't know her cell phone number.

"540-364-1011," Logan quickly rattled off his tongue.

"Dude, you don't even have her number?" James asked with a scoff. "_Always _get her number while you're planning on what you're doing for a date. Elementary stuff, dude."

"There's got to be _someone _I can ask," Carlos rapidly tapped his helmet. "Think, Carlos, think."

"I'm sure you'll find someone, Carlitos, don't worry," Kendall reassured his friend, clasping him on the shoulder.

"Carlos there are plenty of lovely young women here at the Palm Woods," Mrs. Knight added. "Why don't you ask one of the girls in your class?"

"I already did," Carlos replied with a sigh. He dropped to the ground on his knees and shouted up at the ceiling, "Please God, let the next person that comes into my life be the girl of my dreams!" All heads shot towards the door as someone pounded on it with urgency. Carlos returned his gaze back up toehe ceiling. "That was fast." He got to his feet, giving his friends a smug look. "Guys, I'm about to meet he woman of my dreams."

"Opening the door would be a _great start _to your relationship," Logan pointed out with over the top enthusiasm.

Whistling, Carlos got to his feet and practically skipped over to the bathroom. His friends exchanged glances as they watched Carlos take off his helmet and fluff up his hair with his fingers. He winked at them as he exited the bathroom and went over to the front door. James, Kendall, and Logan jumped up and raced after Carlos, eager to see who was at the door.

Carlos swung open the door and the four of them jumped back, yelling when they saw Gustavo standing there, glaring at them.

"What are you doing here?" Mrs. Knight asked appearing behind the four boys.

"Yeah, my mansion flooded so I have to stay here with you dogs tonight," Gustavo replied.

Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan looked at each other before they all clutched each other, screaming at the top of their lungs.

"Oh come on, I doubt it's going to be that bad," Katie scoffed, rolling her eyes.

* * *

Riley made a noise of annoyance as she rolled around in her bed. The noise was too loud to bear. She grabbed her pillow placing it over her head, burying her face down into her mattress. Letting out a scream of rage, she sat up throwing her pillow across the room.

"What _is that_?" she demanded. She looked over at Rhuben and saw her sleeping peacefully across the room in her own bed.

Riley climbed out of bed and turned on the lamp, dropping her jaw when she saw why Rhuben was asleep. She had her drum headphones on. The large, chunky ones that cut out the sound of the drums so te player wouldn't hurt their hearing. Riley grabbed her pillow off the floor and whacked Rhuben over the head with it.

"WHAT?" Rhuben shouted, rolling over in bed to face her sister. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Wordlessly, Riley motioned to the headphones. A look of realization crossed Rhuben's face and she pulled them down around her neck. "Sorry. What is it?"

"Is that nose coming from you?" Riley demanded. Rhuben gave her a 'duh' look.

"If it was me…why would I be wearing _these _to bed?" Rhuben questioned motioning to the headphones. "I thought it was you."

"No," Riley snapped. "Maybe it's Patrick."

"Yeah, he does snore pretty loudly," Rhuben said with a nod. "Or he hasn't eaten his midnight snack yet."

"Out of those two options, I don't think I'm all that happy with either one," Riley said crossing her arms over her chest. She picked up her phone from her dressed and pressed a button on the side so the light would come on.

2:30.

"Oh, come on!" Riley stomped her foot. "It's 2:30 in the morning."

"Alright, Patrick's going to wish he wasn't related to me," Rhuben announced getting to her feet. She made her way out of the room and opened the door stepping out in the living room.

Ever since the Jackson's dad was sent off to jail, they moved into Ronan's apartment. Riley and Rhuben shared the guest room while Patrick Noah and Sydney took the fold out couch to sleep on. Ronan had his own room. Ronan promised them that the living conditions would only be that way for a while. Once he got full custody of them as his adoptive parent, they were going to go out house hunting.

Sleepily, Riley and Rhuben made their way into the living room. Rhuben nearly fell over a large black object but quickly caught her balance. She heard a clanking sound, and a noise from Riley. Turning to look at her, she saw her twin sister bouncing up and down on one foot, holding her other foot with her hands.

"I stubbed my toe on the stupid pull out bed," Riley hissed through clenched teeth. She gingerly set her foot down on the floor and peered over the bed. "It's empty. Where are they?"

"I'll give you one guess," Rhuben replied before stepping up on the bed, walking over it, making a beeline for Ronan's bedroom door. She opened it and peered inside. "Just as I thought."

Patrick, Noah, and Sydney were in bed with Ronan' curcled tightly under the blanket. Riley snorted when she saw that her brothers had taken all of the covers from Ronan and had taken up more than half the bed. Patrick was snoring loudly.

Rhuben walked over to Ronan and put her drum set headphones n over his ears. She then walked over to her brothers, pulling back the bed sheets. She wrapped her fingers around Patrick's pinky-toe on his right toe and twisted it as hard as she could.

"OW!" Patrick shouted immediately sitting up. This in turn caused Sydney to shoot awake, gasping in fear, and Noah fell off the bed. "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?"

"Your snoring!" Riley shot back.

"You mean that loud sound?" Sydney asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes," Riley and Rhuben replied in unison.

"That's not him," Noah said in his quiet voice, glaring up at his sisters. "The noise scared us so we came in here. Patrick's snoring is _nothing _compared to that noise."

"Then what is it?" Riley demanded. "Oh, we have studio work tomorrow and if we don't get any sleep, it's going to be a disaster!"

"Well, if my calculations are correct, I'd say it's coming from a few floors down," Sydney said qiggling his way out of bed. "Come on, so we don't wake up Ronan." The five of them tiptoed out of the room and jumped as Patrick slammed the door shut.

"What?" he yelped, seeing his siblings' glares. "He won't hear a thing, don't worry." He then saw the weird look on Riley's face. "What is it, Ri?"

"Logan left me a weird message," Riley replied.

"Put it on speaker," Sydney insisted, bouncing on his toes. Riley nodded and pressed a button before holding out her phone. There was a crackling sound seconds before Kendall's hushed voice came over the phone.

"_Riles…I don't have enough time to explain, but I wanted to tell you guys that I love you and you and Rhuben re my best best friends in the entire world. Oh, and if you could..uh oh….help! HELP!_"

The line suddenly got cut.

"Ok, that worries me," Rhuben said putting her hands on her hips. "Now, I'm sure that Logan is just being his worry-wart self."

"You're also annoyed that he's taking Camille out on a date," Sydney added with a cheeky smile.

"No I'm not and _shut up_," Rhuben shot back causing Sydney to pout. "Come on, let's just go check it out."

The Jacksons slipped out of the apartment, slowly making their way down the hall and down a few floors, getting more and more annoyed when the sound got louder and louder, the lower they went.

"Oh, please don't tell me it's coming from their room," Noah groaned as they got closer and closer to apartment 2J.

"I won't tell you then," Riley groaned, her hands over her ears. "Man, I wish you still had those headphone things."

"Believe me, so do I," Rhuben said, her fingers in her ears. She let out a loud noise of annoyance before wlking up to the door, banging her fists on it. "Open up, open up, open up!"

The door opened seconds later and Carlos stared at her. "What?"

"What is that noise?" Rhuben demanded, glaring at him.

"You," he replied as if it was obvious. Rhuben gave him a look, jutting out her hip, putting a hand on it. He squeezed his eyes shut when the loud noise came again. "Oh, you mean _that noise_. Yeah, it's Gustavo. He has to stay in our apartment."

The Jacksons pushed by him and made their way into the apartment. Gustavo was indeed laying on their couch, snoring up a storm.

"Oh, and I thought Patrick's snoring was loud," Sydney commented, his hands over his small ears. "We could hear this all the way up from Ronan's apartment."

"I thought he was loud when he was awake," Logan snapped, dropping his pillow to the floor. He then noticed the Jacksons standing beside him and gave Riley and Rhuben a bone crushing hug. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you guys."

"Yeah, we got your message," Riley said giving him a confused look, massaging her ribs.

"Why is there a Logan-shaped hole in the couch?" Rhuben asked, pointing at the deep print in the orange couch. She gave the boys of Big Time Rush a confused look before letting out a loud gasp. "Oh you poor baby." She gave Logan another hug.

"Well that must be the reason why you suddenly stopped talking in your message," Riley dryly commented.

"How am I supposed to get my _beauty sleep_?" James demanded.

"I SAID SING IT IN THE KEY OF G," Gustavo shouted back as if in reply to James's outburst.

"Man, he _yells _in his sleep?" Kendall asked making a face as Mrs. Knight walked by with an empty cup. "Mom! Can you believe this?" She ignored him, filling her cup up with water. It was then Kendall noticed that she had large headphone like things on her ears. "Mom!"

She stopped and looked at him. "Oh these?" she asked pointing to them. "Sorry, I gave my other pair to Katie."

"Explains why she's not out here," Noah said under his breath.

"Aw, too bad buddy, you don't get to see your _girlfriend_ in her pajamas," Patrick scowled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Dude, I've told you a _million times _she's not my girlfriend," Noah snapped.

"Doesn't matter," Patrick replied, putting a hand in his brother's face. Noah glanced at it before sticking out his tongue and licking it. Patrick let out a shriek of disgust and wiped his hand on his pants. "_I _wanted to asked her out."

"So why didn't you?" Noah asked, an annoyed look on his face.

"I was waiting for the right time,' Patrick replied. Noah could see him blushing despite the darkness. "I had it all planned out with flowers and…and you ruined it."

"I didn't know," Noah said quietly. Patrick crossed his arms over his chest, pretending not to hear him. "Pat. Pat!" He let out an angry sigh when Gustavo's snores got louder and louder.

"DO IT THE WAY I SAY! DO IT!" Gustavo commanded.

"We have _got _to do something," James stated. Carlos whipped a large roll of duct tape out of nowhere.

"_Not that_!" Kendall shouted. He then turned to face Riley. "And not _that _either." She had a knife in her hand and was slowly inching her way over to Gustavo. She glanced at him before dropping it down onto the counter with a small 'clang.'

"You could always go sleep down in the lobby," he suggested. Everyone turned to look at him and he rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath. "YOU COULD ALWAYS GO DON AND SLEEP IN THE LOBBY!"

"That's a good idea," Kendall stated.

The two bands went to grab their stuff, the Jacksons heading back up to Ronan;s apartment to grab pillows and blankets. They met back down in the lobby and sleepily went to look for places to drop their stuff.

"Seriously? Sleeping in the lobby?" James protested.

"You got a better idea?" Noah snapped. James gave a heavy sigh before turning to Rhhuben, flashing her a charming smile.

"I don't really care where I sleep as long sa I can sleep soon," she said in reply.

"But, what about the Palm Woods ghost?" Carlos demanded.

"Ghost?" Patrick, Noah, and Sydney asked in unison.

"What do you mean ghost?" Riley asked, narrowing her eyes. Logan scoffed, rolling his eyes.

'There's _no such thing_ as ghosts," he said hitting Carlos with his pillow.

"Hey, you _still _haven't explained that table moving all by itself," Carlos shot back, hitting him with his pillow.

"_Stop, _I don't even want to_ think _about it," Sydney said putting his hands over his ears. They all stopped moving as the lights in the lobby went out. The doors to their side slammed shut, causing them to scream. "It's the ghost." Sydney made a whining noise out of fear and hid behind Kendall's legs.

"Aaah, it's a ghost!" Patrick let out a high pitched shriek when they saw a white figure, carrying a candle moving out of Bitters' office.

"Wait, guys that's-"

The boys ignored Riley and Rhuben as they charge forward, pillows held high over their heads. They jumped on top of the 'ghosts' and beat them with their pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags.

"Bitters," the ended in unison.

"You're the ghost?" Carlos questioned as Bitters got to her feet.

"Don't say ghost," Bitters said putting a hand up to his mouth. "If people hear ghost, they move out. If they move out there'll be no more Palm Woods."

"But there is no ghost, this is just a power outage," Logan repled being his realistic self.

"You think you could've said that _before _you jumped on him," Riley pointed out, earning a small glare from Logan.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Logan added.

They all screamed when a vase fell off the counter, slamming into the ground, breaking on impact. Patrick jumped into Noah's arms in fright. They all then turned to look at the furniture stacked up in a weird formation. Another set of doors slammed shut causing them all to scream again. Riley and Rhuben screamed the loudest, as they're screams were more high pitched, and they jumped into Logan and James's arms. Sydney quickly climbed up Kendall's back and had a death grip around Kendall's neck.

"Go, go, go," he shouted and they all took off running, screaming at the top of their lungs.

They ran back to apartment 2J as fast as they could. They slipped inside, slamming the door shut behind them, skidding to a stop in the kitchen.

"Hey, you're stronger than I thought," Riley commented, giving Logan a smile.

"Well, you know I _do _work out,' he chuckled. Hearing a noise, they all turned and saw Gustavo standing in front of them, scratching his butt. Screaming, James, Logan, Kendall, and Noah dropped Riley, Rhuben, Sydney, and Patrick to the ground.

"Guys," Gustavo scolded them, a milk carton in his hand. "People are trying to sleep."

"And nurse their injuries," Sydney groaned, face down on the floor as Gustavo went back to bed.

* * *

The next day, the two bands thought up ways on how to find the ghost and how to get Gustavo out of apartment 2J. Logan, Carlos, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney were trying to prove, with the help of Bitters, whether tere actually _was _ a Palm Woods ghost as Riley, Rhuben, James, and Kendall tried to get Gustavo out of the apartment, because he said that his mansion was still flooded.

James, Kendall, Riley, and Rhuben went down to the pool to get away from Gustavo, but he decided to tag along there too. When Kendall and Riley were having a nice chat over agame of checkers, Gustavo came up, pushing Riley out of the way to play against Kendall. As James and Rhuben talked about what they were going to do for their date, James went to put sun tan lotion on RHuben's back, but Gustavo pushed her out of the way and James ended up putting sun tan lotion on his head. And when they were all relaxing in the pool, Gustavo jumped into the pool, knocking everybody out.

Meanwhile, Carlos, Logan, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney were all in the Palm Woods lobby with a video camera and ecto-net(which was actually a fishing net) ready to catch the Palm Woods ghost. There, Carlos had a run in with the new girl.

"Dude, ask her out," Patrick advised. He had the net down over Noah and Sydney's heads. They were playing a game to see if Patrick could pull them back as the two of them ran forward as fast as they could. "Y'know, before the Plam Woods ghost scares her away?"

"There _is _no ghost," Logan snapped. "And Carlos is stupid.

"Hey, I'm just about as smart as you, and I think there _is _a ghost in the Palm Woods," Sydney contradicted him.

"Yeah, I don't really know a time where Sydney is wrong, so…I have to agree with him," Noah said giving Logan an apologetic smile.

"And I'm alone again,' Logan stated throwing his arms into the air.

"Well, she _is _really pretty," Carlos muttered as he watched the new girl walk by with her dad. "But, I can't. The safety of the Palm Woods comes first. Now, where's my net?"

Hearing a loud rip he looked up. Patrick was staring in horror at the now broken fishing net that was sitting around Noah and Sydney's waist. "We didn't do it," they all said in unison, giving sheepish smiles.

"Don't worry, I have another one, let's go," Carlos said pushing 'RECORD' on the camera. "I'll just check back later to see if we got anything spooky."

The group of boys headed back up the stairs to apartment 2J and stopped once they saw Gustavo jumping up an down on his bed, the apartment filled with a lot of his stuff.

"I don't think I want to know," Sydney groaned.

'Believe me, you don't," Riley and Rhuben said in unison, shaking their heads.

"PILLOW FIGHT!" Gustavo shouted, throwing a pillow at James. He caught it, backtracking, slamming into Rhuben and the two of them fell to the floor as Gustavo laughed.

"Ok, he's _got _to go," Rhuben hissed, sitting up, rubbing the back of her head.

* * *

"WHAT!"

"Oh no," Riley muttered over breakfast the next morning.

"Is something wrong?" Ronan asked looking up at the Jacksons. He blew on his cup of coffee before taking a sip.

"No, nothing," Patrick smiled. "We'll just be right back. We forgot to do something." The five kids jumped up form their seats at the table and ran out the door.

"No, I don't think I want to know," Ronan commented, shaking his head. The Jacksons flew down the stairs and raced over to apartment 2J, nearly colliding with James and Kendall in the doorway, James had oatmeal on his face.

"What up with the oatmeal?" Riley asked, tilting her head to the side. Rhuben wiped a glob off of James' cheek before sticking her finger in her mouth.

"It needs raisins and cinnamon sugar," she commented. James ignored her and grabbed onto Kendall's shoulders.

"I can't take _five more days_,' he growled.

"FIVE DAYS?" the Jacksons yelled in unison.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" Kendall shouted back at all of them. "It'll be ok, alright? We just need to take the bull by the horns and handle this like men."

"So basically, we're going to go find Kelly and see if _she _can fix this?" Riley asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"Exactly," Kendall said nodding in her direction. He stopped, suddenly realizing they were all there. "Did you do something different with your hair?"

"I put more red streaks in it?" Riley replied as more of a question.

"Oh, it looks nice," Kendall smiled. "Ok, let's go." As the older kids raced off, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney headed into the apartment.

"Hey, Mama Knight," they all greeted in unison. "Hey, Katie."

"Hi guys," Katie smiled at her friends. "Man, I'm really loving having Gustavo here. Watching you guys freak out is better than Pay Per View."

"I'm glad _somebody _is getting some enjoyment out of this," Patrick said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, Noah, by the way, if you don't mind, you and I are going to double date with Kendall and Riley," Katie said before taking a bite of her oatmeal. Noah shrugged.

"Ok, no problem," he said with a smile.

"Ooh, you guys are going out?" Gustavo brightened up. "When are you going? What are you going to do?" Patrick, Noah, Sydney, and Katie exchanged glances.

"…Yeah, this might be a problem," Katie commented, making a face. "Ok guys, come here, I have an idea, and I need _all _of your help."

"Ooh, can we use code names?" Patrick asked, his eyes widening in excitement.

"We don't need them," Katie replied. Sydney oouted.

"But _every _plan is good with code names," he whined. Katie rolled her eyes and sighed, but gave in.

"Yayy," Patrick and Sydney bounced on their toes, clapping their hands in delight.

"I'm not related to you," Noah said shaking his head.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kendall, James, Riley, and Rhuben were looking for Gustavo. They found Kelly and she told them that Gustavo never had a chance to play games as a kid and that was why he was running around screaming and throwing balls and shoving people.

"Hey, we need help getting Gustavo back to his mansion,' Kendall said to Logan and Carlos as they tinkered with the video camera in the lobby.

"Why are you wet?" Logan asked Riley and Rhuben. Rhuben spat out a stream of water.

"Don't ask," she said in a deathly quiet voice.

"Well, we need help getting rid of a ghost," Carlos shot back in reply. Bitters popped oupf nowhere.

"There is no ghost," he called. "There is no ghost."

"Yes there is," the new girl replied walking up. "This place is freaking me out."

"New girl," the four boys said together, smiling. "Niiice.'

"Hey, Stephanie," Riley and Rhuben called over their shoulders. Carlos shrieked grabbing onto Riley's shoulders.

"You _have _to introduce me to her," he pleaded. "I'll be your best friend." He pouted, giving her the puppy dog look.

"Down boy," Riley shoved him off of her. "Once we get this all sorted out, Ill help ya, don't worry. But first, we need to find Gustavo." With that, Kendall, James, Riley, and RHuben went running towards the elevators .On the way up, they quickly made up a plan. They headed into apartment 2J and found Gustavo standing on his bed, playing with the Wii.

"Gustavo," Kendall greeted his music producer as if he hadn't seen him in the past few days. "Hey, we know you need some new songs for the album."

"So, how about this one?" James asked. "It's to the tune of 'Shot in the Dark.'" He nodded at Kendall and the two of them sucked in a breath of air before they started singing.

"Please don't stay another moment, we don't want to hear more words spoken. Walk out through the door, oh look, _IT'S OPEN_, and you snore in the dark and it's freaking us out." Riley and Rhuben started clapping.

"Good, I thought it was good," Riley said nodding her head, a serious look on her face. "What about you?"

"Oh yes, it was good," Rhuben agreed, nodding too.

"Well, _we _thought it was bad, so you should go back to your mansion and work on it, or better yet, write a new song," Kendall said with a smile.

"So here's your stuff," James smiled, dragging over his bag.

"And some fish sticks," Riley added, giving Kendall a questioning look as he shoved the box into her arms.

"So, buh-bye now," Rhuben waved.

"No, let's go with yours," Gustavo replied before going back to his wii game. RHuben growled turning towards the kitchen grabbing a knife. She slowly stalked her way over to Gustavo. James and Riley grabbed onto her, pulling her back.

"James, let go or this knife goes into those sexy washboard abs of yours," Rhuben said through clenched teeth. James sreamed letting her go, before a smile came to his face.

"So, you think my abs are sexy?" he questioned.

"Later!" Riley shouted. "Help me!"

* * *

"Alright, this is the _last _idea that I have," Kendall announced, coming out into the hallway. The Jacksons snorted when they saw that Big Time Rush (minus Logan) were dressed like Ghostbusters.

"Hey but guys, if this plan doesn't work, who ya gonna call?" Patrick asked, trying to hide his smile.

"Ghostbusters!" Noah and Sydney obediently replied, wide smiles on their faces.

"Why don't_ I _have one of those?" Logan asked, clutching the pillow and blanket tight to his chest.

"Because you're the ghost bait," Kendall replied, rapping his forehead asw he forgot to tell his best friend the most important part of the plan.

"What?" Logan shrieked. "Then, what are _they _doing?"

"We're going to attack the ghost," Sydney shrugged. He then turned his head away so no one would hear him. "Or just…you know…run away."

"Come on guys, we can do this," James said giving his friends a thumbs up. "All for one and one for all."

"Or more like; All for one and Logan is ghost food'," Patrick laughed as Logan started to shake out of fear.

"Come on," Kendall said shoving Logan into the Palm Woods lobby. They all watched as Logan set down his blanket and laid down, putting his blanket down on top of him. Carlos set up the camera and gave his friend a thumbs up. "Ok, now everybody hide!" Everybody else ran off to hide in different places.

"You might want to give me a kiss now," James said, kneeling beside Rhuben. "This might be the last chance you get. I may not make it to our date. And I want to die a happy man."

"Aw, that's sweet," Rhuben smiled. "In a weird kind of way." Nevertheless, she gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"Uh guys?" Logan's small voice called out over the lobby after afew moments of silence. "Are we going to be taking turns as ghost bait? Guys?"

"Shut up, Logan," Riley called from where she was sitting.

"Come on, I'm alone and scared and I'd really like some-"

Suddenly, a green light filled the room, some wind blowing into the room, sending pieces of paper flying around the room. Logan let out a terrified scream, hiding under his blanket.

"It's go time," James hissed before jumping out of his hiding spot, grouping up with Kendall and Carlos.

"Stop right there!" Kendall shouted taking charge. "Wow, you're a really freak ghost."

"Wow," Riley commented dryly. "That's the guy I have to go out on a date with. One who speaks clichés and points out the obvious."

"You're the same way so I'll doubt you'll notice it," Patrick replied, earning a punch to the back. "Ow." He wailed. "That was my kidney." The Jacksons watched from their hiding spots as Big Time Rush went running around the Palm Woods lobby chasing after the ghost. "Huh, the ghost is faster than I thought."

"Where's the music coming from?" Noah asked, looking around. He chuckled when he saw Sydney pull a CD Player out from inside a fake tree base.

"I thought it would be good chase scene music," Sydney said with a shrug. "Oh wait, look."

Noah and Sydney peered out from behind the Palm Woods check in counter and saw that the boys of Big Time Rush had cornered the ghost and was using their ecto-vaccums to try and suck it up. Jumping over the counter (and out from their other hiding places) the Jacksons jumped forward, grabbing onto the ghosts' arms pinning them ot its side as the top of its head was sucked off.

"Stephanie?" they all questioned in unison, backing up to get a good look at her.

"Hi," Sydney waved cheerfully.

"Hey guys," Stephanie gave the Jacksons a smile before giving Big Time Rush a sheepish grin.

"You're the ghost?" Logan demanded.

"And I would've gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you…cute…hot guys," she said smiling at all of them, her gaze resting on Carlos a little longer.

"Why would you do that?" Kendall demanded, grabbing one of the giant foam hands Stephanie was holding on to, pointing it at her.

"I'm making a no budget horror movie and I used you guys as actors, say hi to the cameras," she said, pointing to one of the corners on the ceiling.

"I think it'll turn out great," Riley said hip bumping her friend.

"You _knew _she was the Palm Woods ghost?" James demanded. The Jacksons nodded. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because this is too funny," Sydney replied with his trademark giggle. "And it was a lot of fun too."

"Are you guys mad?" Stephanie asked quietly.

"Nah," Kendall, James, and Carlos replied in unison.

"Yes," Logan snapped, a wide-eyed look on his face.

"_Please _don't tell," Stephanie gave them all a puppy dog look. "It's way past my curfew and I broke _a lot _ of Bitters' stuff."

"I'll forgive you if you go out with me," Carlos said with a smile. Stephanie smiled back at him.

"Yeah, sure," she said with a nod. Carlos proceeded to scream 'YES" at the top of his lungs and dance on the spot.

"Sure, we won't tell on _one _condition," he said with a smile, pointing the giant hand at her.

"Alright, Pat, let's put Katie's plan into action," Noah said slapping his brother a high five. "Steph, we're going to need your help."

"I had a feeling," Stephanie said with a smile. "Katie filled me in this morning."

* * *

"GHOST!" Gustavo shouted, jumping out of bed. He raced out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

"And cut," Stephanie shouted popping up from behind the bed. "That's a wrap!"

Big Time Rush, the DarkElements, and Stephanie cheers jumping out of their hiding places, slapping each other a high five and giving each other congratulatory hugs. Katie and Mrs. Knight came out of their bedrooms.

"What is going on, it's 3:30 in the morning?" Katie demanded. She smiled secretly giving her brother a wink, which he returned.

"I'll handle this, sweetie," Mrs. Knight said to her daughter. "WHAT IS GOING ON IT'S THREE IN THE MORNING?"

"Mom, this is Stephanie King," Kendall said motioning to Stephanie.

"She's the Palm Woods ghost," Logan and Carlos explained in unison.

"Hey," Stephanie greeted with a small laugh. Mrs. Knight and Katie gave small finger waves.

"She helped us scare Gustavo _back _to his mansion,' James said before the boys burst into another round of applause and cheers.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ronan asked, coming into the room. Like Mrs. Knight and Katie, he was dressed in pajamas and a robe. "Gustavo just ran by me screaming his head off. I've been hearing screams all night and the Jacksons weren't there. Someone explain, please."

The boys of Big Time Rush took the time to explain to Ronan what was going on. He didn't say a word until they were done. He actually had an amused look on his face and had a series of fits of laugher as they told the story.

"So, where are they now?" Ronan asked, looking around, once the boys had finished their stories.

"Um, I think you should let them stay here tonight," Kendall suggested, walking behind the kitchen counter. He bent down and lifted Sydney up into his arms. He was fast asleep as were the other Jacksons who were lying on the floor fast asleep. Sydney made a noise in his sleep before turning and burying his face into Kendall's chest, letting out a small sigh.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Ronan laughed, running his fingers through Sydney's feathery soft hair.

* * *

**A/NL WOW, 15 pages in Microsoft Word. I hope you liked this chapter. This was the only way I could fit Carlos getting a date. So, I hope you liked this chapter. Big Time Date Part 2 is next.**

**-Rhuben**


	18. Chapter 18: Big Time Date Pt 2

**18: **_Big Time Date Part 2_

_

* * *

_

"We're what?" Rhuben asked staring at James over the top of her math book.

They were doing their homework together later that afternoon. Rhuben could tell automatically that James had something he wanted to say to her, but she couldn't get him out for the longest time. The only way to get him to talk was by taking away the Cuda product that he had hidden in his backpack. And he was right when he said that she wouldn't be too happy with the news.

"I kind of told Logan that we'd double with him and Camille tonight," James repeated slowly. "That's not going to be a problem is it?"

"Actually…no," Rhuben replied slowly. '_Logan _would _probably need all the help from James he could get. Which most likely won't be a good idea. And Camille would probably be wanting to know as much about Logan as possible. And she _really _does like him and I'm sure Logan really likes her too. As long as Logan is happy._' "It's cool. I understand. So, what are we doing tonight?"

"You'll find out," James replied with air of mystery, "But, I won't be the most handsome you've ever seen me if you don't give me that back." He nodded towards the body spray in her hand. She smirked, turning it over in her hand to read the label.

"Cuda New Spice Man Spray," she read. "Well, that explains a lot." She chuckled, throwing it at him. He caught it, smiling and slid it back into his backpack.

"Hey guys," Logan greeted, walking up to them. "Have you seen Camille today?"

"I think she said something about an audition," Rhuben replied, turning to face him. "Although I couldn't really tell because she was talking in an old lady voice and acting like she didn't have any teeth."

"Thanks, Bella," Logan smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it. "What are you guys doing?"

"Homework," James replied, twirling his pencil around his fingers. "She's also my tutor in math."

"I've always tutored you in math," Logan gave James a confused look. He then turned to Rhuben. "And you and I always do homework together."

"I couldn't find you," Rhuben shrugged. "Besides, after how you snubbed me when I tried to apologize for the song thing, I didn't think you'd want to do homework with me again. Don't make this out to be a bigger deal than it is."

"…I-I'm not," Logan reassured, a smile on his face. '_Even though we _do _always do our homework together_.' "Well, I'll see you guys later."

Rhuben and James smiled, giving Logan a wave as he headed back into the Palm Woods.

* * *

"Hey, Pat," Noah greeted his twin brother, as he walked into Ronan's bedroom. Patrick looked up from the book that he was reading but didn't respond. He was lying on his back in the middle of the bed, holding the book up above his head. "Pat?"

"Hey," Patrick grunted in reply.

"You're still mad at aren't you?" Noah asked, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets.

"What do _you _think?" Patrick asked setting the book down on his chest. He turned his head to give his brother a hard stare.

"I apologized," Noah said quietly.

"And I've accepted your apology, but that doesn't make me even less mad," Patrick muttered, his nostrils flaring. Noah sighed, looking around the room, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come on, man, I'm your brother," Noah sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling his legs to his chest.

"And you think that makes me feel any better?" Patrick snorted rolling his eyes.

"No, I mean, I'm your brother," he repeated. "Why didn't you tell me you liked Katie?"

"Well…why didn't you tell me?" Patrick demanded, sitting up. "It was obvious that you liked her from the beginning. Since we first met her."

"Same with you," Noah pointed out. "If it really bothers you…I'll cancel the date."

"Really?" Patrick asked, raising his eyebrows. "You'd do that for me?"

"Well, you'd do it for me, right?" Noah asked, tilting his head to the side. Patrick sighed, a thoughtful look on his face. He muttered a 'yeah' a smile starting to spread across his face. "So, I'll go call Katie."

"You didn't answer the question," Patrick said stopping him in his tracks. "Why didn't you tell me you liked Katie?" Noah sighed again, but he smiled at his brother.

"Because I knew how much you liked her," he replied. "She's the first person I really thought that I'd had a connection with, ya know? I can tell she likes to spend time with you. I guess I didn't want to pass up the chance and just try."

"I don't blame ya," Patrick chuckled getting off the bed, facing him. "Oh, and you're not jus my brother." He punched Noah on the shoulder. "You're my twin brother. Better get used to saying it cause I'm going to be around for a while."

"Yeah, I don't know if I'm going to be happy about that," Noah said with a teasing smile. "I've got an idea." Patrick raised his eyebrows, waiting for his twin to go on. "How about you, me, Sydney, and Katie go out to get ice cream. We can get Ronan to take us. He's been hinting about not wanting to do all this work tonight."

"That sounds great," Patrick's mile grew wider. "I'll got tell Sydney." He brushed by Noah to go out the door. He paused then turned around to face him before giving his brother a hug. "I love you, ya know."

"Me too," Noah replied, wrapping his arms around him, giving him a tight hug.

* * *

"Would you _stop _pacing?" Kendall asked, annoyed as he watched Carlos walk back and forth in front of him and his friends. "You're making me nervous."

The four of them were down in the Palm Woods lobby, waiting for their dates to meet them there. At a last minute change of plans, Carlos and Stephanie would be doubling with Kendall and Riley. Ronan agreed into taking Katie, and Riley and Rhuben's brothers out for ice cream.

"_You're _nervous?" Carlos laughed. "At least you're going out with someone you've known for a while. I just met Stephanie."

"Relax, Carlos, everything will be fine," Logan said grabbing onto his friend's shoulders. "Besides, you're doubling with Kendall and Riley. If you say something stupid, it's not like they'll point and laugh."

"Wellll," Kendall held out the word as he went to contradict Logan. But, he decided against it in the end. "No, we won't laugh. Don't worry. It's a positive thing that she agreed so quickly."

"Just ditch the hockey helmet," James commented, one arm behind his back. Carlos immediately un-clipped the helmet and threw it over his shoulder, not even bother to look where it landed.

" Besides, she called us 'cute' and 'hot' you have nothing to worry about," Kendall continued on. "Well, except being tongue-tied and blurting out something stupid."

"You mean like I want to right now?" Logan asked in a hoarse voice.

Kendall looked in the direction of the elevators and his (and his friends') mouth dropped as he watched the four girls step out of the elevator, talking and laughing with each other. In a word they were all beautiful.

Riley had on a strapless red dress over a pair of dark wash jeans and a pair of Vans. She chose to keep her hair down. Kendall looked closer and noticed that she was even wearing eyeliner, eye shadow, and lip gloss. He subconsciously felt the smile on his face get wider and wider with every step she took. '_Wow_' was the only thought that went through his mind.

Keeping up the dressy/ casual attire of her sister, Rhuben had her hair tied up a ponytail with a purple ribbon, two locks of hair framing her face. She had on a purple off the shoulder tunic with a picture of a lion on the front, a jean short skirt, black leggings and a pair of sandals. James gave her a bright smiled, moving his arm from behind her back, revealing a rose.

Camille's wavy hair was pulled back from her face with hair clips. She was wearing a flower print spaghetti strap dress over skinny jeans, and wedge sandals. Logan cleared his throat and walked up to her, smiling. He offered her his arm, which she looped hers through, smiling widely.

Stephanie had her hair down, instead of straight it was now wavy. She had on a black fedora, with a thick white band around it. She had on a white button down shirt and a black and white striped tie on. She wore a solid light blue skirt, black leggings, and flats.

"Hey guys," she greeted with a wide smile. "You ready to go?"

The girls exchanged looks, laughing a little as the guys all spluttered and made noises, trying to form the right words to answer Stephanie's question.

"I'll take that as a yes," she chuckled taking Carlos's hand, leading him out the door. Carlos sighed with happiness, a sappy look on his face.

"Yeah, I don't know if I want to see _that _look on his face ever again," Riley smirked at Carlos.

"I've gotten used to it," Kendall said opening the door for her. He motioned for her to go outside first. "He has the same look every Friday." Riley gave him a weird look. "Fish Stick Friday."

"With tots," James, Logan, and Carlos replied in unison.

"Ok, so we'll see you guys later," Kendall gave James, Logan, Camille, and Rhuben a small wave.

"Ronan wants us back by 10:30," Rhuben called to her sister. "And Patrick, Noah, and Sydney said they'd only call if it was an emergency."

"Kay," Riley called over her shoulder, waving to her sister. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

"Well, I want to do something fun," Kendall replied with a smile. "So Carlos and I tried to figure out what you girls like to do for fun."

"That's sweet," Stephanie smiled.

"Yeah, how much did you pay my brothers?" Riley asked raising an eyebrow.

"Enough to get them to buy enough ice cream that they could eat until they puke," Carlos replied. "Each."

"My brothers drive a pretty hard bargain," Riley laughed. "So, where are we going?"

"How do you girls feel about ice skating?" Kendall asked looking from Stephanie to Riley and back. "If it's not a good idea, we could do anything you want."

"I've never been ice skating before," Stephanie commented, which got everybody to turn and look at her as if she was crazy. "I use to live in Florida. If I wasn't at the beach, I was at the pool. I never took the time to ice skate."

"Good, I can teach you," Carlos smiled. "Right this way." He and Kendall led the way to the ice rink.

"Have you ice skated before?" Kendall asked, looking up at Riley through the fringe of his hair. They were all sitting on benches, putting on their ice skates. Carlos and Kendall paid for the rental, despite Riley wanting to pay for herself.

The area outside of the rink was pretty empty. It didn't look like a lot of people where there. When in actuality, there were people on the ice rink and in the arcades, having a good time.

"I rollerblade a lot," Riley replied with a shrug. "I guess it's not that different, only its on ice and not the asphalt. But, I haven't been to an ice rink in a few years, so I don't know if I'm that good anymore."

"Well, I'll be right beside you, so if you think you're going to fall, you can hold my hand," Kendall offered with a smile which she returned. And Kendall could easily tell that it was a genuine smile with the way her eyes sparkled as she did so.

"I don't think I'll let go of your hand at all once I get on the ice," Stephanie laughed as she got to her feet. She wobbled and quickly sat back down causing everyone else to laugh.

"Don't worry, I won't let go," Carlos promised as he got to his feet. He offered her his hand, which she too, and the two them started making their way to the ice rink in the middle of the building. Riley and Kendall were close behind them.

"I forgot how stupid I feel walking in these things," she muttered as a bunch of kids ran by them. "They're going to kill themselves if they don't slow down."

"Don't worry about them," Kendall brushed his hair out of his face. "As for walking, I always feel like a penguin waddling." He gently stepped out onto the ice, moving over to the side, holding onto the boards, waiting for Riley to join him.

"Hey, let's have a race," Riley suggested, a challenging look on her face.

"You shouldn't have said that," Carlos laughed. He and Stephanie were off the to the side. "Kendall is _really _competitive. In fact, he'll never let you forget it if he wins."

"_Once_ I win," Kendall corrected him. "How about we make thing interesting."

"I'm listening,' Riley said crossing her arms over her chest.

"First person around the rink and back here twice, has gets to tell the other person what to do for the rest of the night and they do it no matter what," Kendall replied. "No questions asked."

"Deal," Riley shook her head and the two of them got into position.

"On 3," Kendall said to her, putting his hands on his knees as he crouched down.

"123GO," Riley quickly shouted before taking off. Kendall blinked, staring after her as she quickly made her way down the ice.

"Go, Kendall!" Stephanie shouted. Carlos laughed as Kendall cursed under his breath and sped after his date, his leg muscles working their magic. He had to admit that he was happy he's been playing ice hockey for years or there would be no way he could easily catch up to her. "Alright, Carlos, giving me skating 101. What's first?"

"Trusting the person who's going to teach you," Carlos replied pushing himself off the boards. He turned to face her, offering his hands. With a blush on her face she slowly slid her hand into his (taking into account the warmth he felt from it.)

"Just relax." With a gentle tug he brought her from the sidelines of the ice to the slippery glass below. He kept his eyes on hers the entire time they moved. Stephanie tightened her grip on his hand a little bit as people rushed by them. "Relax, you're ok. I've got you." He stopped, bring her to a stop in front of him. "Now the first thing we need to do is get you used to your skates on ice."

"And how are you going to do that?" Stephanie asked raising her eyebrows. Carlos gave her a gentle smile but didn't say anything. He began to skate backwards, slowly pulling her along the ice. Her feet slid across smoothly. She bent her head, looking down at her feet, and watched them glide over the ice.

"Now start to move your feet, almost as if you were walking," he instructed next. He chuckled when he felt her grip tighten.

"Don't laugh at me," Stephanie wailed. "Be nice, you know I'm new at this."

"Right, right, sorry," Carlos quickly apologized. A look of determination crossed her face as she began to move her feet back and forth. She could feel herself wobble, and an embarrassed blush rose up her cheeks. She refused to look up at Carlos. "What?"

"I just don't want to fall," Stephanie muttered.

"I told you, I'd catch-" Stephanie's foot slipped and she could feel herself falling. Carlos moved forward, wrapping his arms around her waist, steadying her. "Catch you. Told you." He smiled at her, which she returned. "You ok?"

She nodded and allowed him to pull her across the ice once again. Her jerky movements slowly but surely became more and more graceful as time went on.

"I think you're getting the hang of this,' Carlos announced. "Alright, let's test you out."

"What?" Stephanie's face held a look of bewilderment on it. Carlos loosened his grip on Stephanie and skated a few feet away. He was almost knocked to the ground as Riley sped by him. "Sorry," she called over her shoulder. "Carlos, get back here."

"Stephanie, skate to me," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. Years and years of playing ice hockey helped him keep good balance, and right now he was happy about it. He wouldn't know what he'd do If he fell in front of her.

"What! Are you crazy, Carlos? Get back here," Stephanie went to stomp her foot, but feeling her weight change, she quickly put it back down.

"What, are you, Chicken?" he taunted, before flapping his arms, making realistic chicken sounds.

A glare crossed Stephanie's face and she slowly started skating forward, not realizing what she was doing. She reached him and hit him on the arm. "Don't call me a chicken. I told you not to make fun of me."

"OK, apparently you've been hanging around Riley and Rhuben too long. I think you picked up their quick temper," Carlos muttered, making a face, grabbing onto his arm. "But, do you realized you just skated all the way over to me?"

Stephanie looked at him then turned to look at the spot she was just standing in. Carlos smiled as a happy look crossed her face. "Oh my gosh, I did it," she cheered.

"Yes," She said with her usual confidence. She leaned down and placed her head near his ear as she spoke. "Do you realize that you have just skated all the way over here?"

"You want to skate now?" Carlos asked, once again, offering his hand to her. "I won't let go until you tell me to."

"Kay," Stephanie replied quietly taking his hand.

Silently, the two of them made their way around the ice rink, going pretty slow, but none of them had a problem with it. There were some cases where Stephanie was about to fall, but true to his word, Carlos helped her stay straight, catching her if she fell.

"I wonder who won their race," Stephanie commented looking over at Riley and Kendall. He was offering her the flannel shirt he was wearing over top of another t-shirt. They were talking about something, smiles on their faces, as she took it. "Riley maybe?"

"Probably, but Kendall is just a nice person, he would've offered it anyway," Carlos replied. "For someone who was complaining about having two left feet you sure skate gracefully." He grinned as he let her go, skating a few feet away from her.

"What can I say, I'm a fast learner," Stephanie replied with a smile and a shrug.

Unfortunately for her, she never learned how to stop and skated right by him towards the wall. She closed her eyes ass he braced herself for the hit when Carlos grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She opened her eyes and smiled sheepishly at him.

"Forget the brakes?" Carlos asked with a smirk.

"You never did teach that lesson to me," Stephanie laughed, allowing him to pull her to him.

"See that nub at the end of the blade?" he nodded down at her feet. She looked up at him and nodded. "You use that to stop."

Carlos skated backwards to show her what he meant. Stephanie followed after him and gracefully stopped in front of him. A large smile appeared on her face.

"How was that?" she asked excitingly, clasping her hands together.

"Perfect." Carlos smiled before leaning forward, kissing her on the cheek. "Just perfect."

* * *

Now while all of this was happening, Kendall and Riley were racing around the ice skating rink. Kendall was amazed at how gracefully Riley skated, easily weaving in and out of people. But, he was good at weaving in and out of people too. Considering both of the teens' backgrounds, they both had good leg muscles that would help them. But in the end, Riley was the one that won the race, barely beating him.

"I won," she smiled brightly, although she was breathing heavily.

"That little kid cut me off," Kendall growled. "I would've won if he didn't get in my way."

"Sure," Riley smirked rolling her eyes. "Ok, so you have to do anything I say." She suddenly realized how cold she was and shivered, grabbing onto her arms. Kendall smiled and started taking off his flannel shirt, revealing the graphic T he was wearing underneath.

"I'll do this out of the goodness of my heart, not just because you're going to ask," he said holding it over for her. Riley smiled, sliding her arms into the shirt. Kendall turned his gaze and watched Carlos and Stephanie. Riley took this time to lift the sleeves to her nose and smelled it, smiling. "I saw that."

"Oh, whatever," Riley rolled her eyes as Kendall laughed at her. His smile faded slightly as he peered at her. "What?"

"Are you ok?" he asked, a questioning look in his eyes. "You're breathing really heavily."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Riley replied, running her fingers through her hair. Her hand gliding over her forehead, she noticed how hot she actually as. "Actually, no, I need to sit down." Kendall noticed that her breathing was getting heavier and nodded, pulling her over to the exit of the ice rink.

They headed over to the nearest table and quickly sat down. "Kendall, don't freak out this happens to me all of the time," she reassured him, gently placing her hand on top of his. "Just go back to my cubby where I put my shoes. I have a gray thing sitting in it. Go get that and bring it back here."

"OK," Kendall replied and rushed off, which caused Riley to let out a very un-Riley like giggle as she watched. She coughed, her chest tightening immediately. She slowly breathed in and out, trying to get more air. Kendall quickly returned, handing her the object. "What is that?"

"It's an inhaler," Riley replied before popping the cap off one end. She stuck the end into her mouth, pressing the cylander at the top twice. Kendall heard a puffing sound as Riley sucked back the air. Setting the inhaler down, she slowly let out a breath of air, feeling the tightness in her chest loosen automatically. "That's better. I have asthma. All of us have it. It's a breathing thing. It's no problem, I'm fine."

"You sure?" Kendall asked, the worried look never leaving his face. "Do you want me to go get you a drink or something?"

"Hot chocolate would be fine," Riley smiled. "Stop worrying, I'm fine. Seriously."

"Can't help it," Kendall replied, getting up. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

"You don't have to do that, I was going to give you money," Riley said offering him a bill. Kendall shook his head giving her a smile.

"No, I'll pay, it's ok, really," he reassured her before going to go buy the drink for her. Riley looked out over the ice and smiled when she saw Carlos lean down and give Stephanie a kiss, causing a wide smile to spread across her face.

'_I wonder how everybody else's date is going_' she thought to herself. Even though she didn't want to admit it, Rhuben was pretty…off knowing that Logan was going out with Camille. Although when asked she was excited to be going out with James. Riley had to admit when he wasn't obsessing over his looks he was really nice and funny and a great person to hang out with.

"Here's your drink," Kendall handed it out to her. She smiled in thanks and took the cup of the hot liquid taking a sip, sighing as it slid down the back of her throat. Kendall smiled and took a sip of his. "Ow, hot!" He dropped his cup, the contents hitting the table, splashing over the front of Riley's dress as she jumped out of her chair in shock, causing her to drop her cup, the hot chocolate sloshing over her shoes.

Kendall's eyes grew wide as he stared at her. "I am _so _sorry," he repeated over and over again as he grabbed handfuls of napkins and handed them to her as he started to clean the floor.

"Kendall relax, it's fine," Riley chuckled. "Believe me. Living with my siblings, you're bound to have something dropped on you. It's ok."

"But, it's all over your dress and-" Kendall stopped letting out a breath of air. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am," Riley said, a slight edge to her tone. "It really doesn't bother me. Are you ok?"

"I just…I wanted this to be perfect,' Kendall muttered. Riley blinked then broke into a smile.

"That's really sweet, but you don't have to try so hard," she said quietly, gently touching his arm. "Just relax and have a good time." She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll just get Ronan to help me get the stain out later."

"How are things with Ronan anyway?" Kendall asked as they moved over to another table to sit down. "You know, since-"

"Since my bastard of a dad left for a lack of a better word?" Riley asked somewhat bitterly. "It's..going great actually. We love Ronan, he was always like another dad to us. Strict when he needs to be but a lot of fun and an overall relaxed person. It's just kind of weird to not be hit after we do something wrong."

"You're just used to all of that, but it'll be ok," Kendall said with a nod. "I mean, my mom never hit you guys."

"That's because we never did anything wrong around your mom," Riley pointed out. "Well, I mean except for that cake fight when Logan was probably going to go home." She saw the look on Kendall's face. "Ok, I get your point. But, the boys are having a hard time with it."

"How so?" Kendall asked quietly.

"Waking up screaming in the middle of the night," Riley listed off. "Screaming for no reason, getting nervous to sing, which by the way never happens, refusing to say a word to Ronan if he asks a question because they scared of saying the wrong thing, never really wanting to leave each other's sides, refusing to sleep. A lot of stuff. Sometimes I feel like I haven't done a good job protecting them."

"Hey," Kendall said quietly. He waited until she was looking at him before continuing. "You _have _done a good job protective them. They're alive aren't they? You've done a good job looking out for them."

"Yeah, but I can't look after them all the time," Riley replied, smirking as she repeated his words back to him.

"It'll be the day when you don't," Kendall smiled. "And if you don't feel like you can, just ask us for help. We have no problem looking out for you guys. Besides, Sydney ahs kinda grown on me."

"Yeah, he's attached to you, ya know," Riley chuckled. "Do you mean what you just said?"

"Yeah, you know we wouldn't want anything to happen to Logan's best friends," Kendall smiled. "Our best friends. I'll do the best I can to look out for you, too."

"I don't need you looking out for me," Riley smirked at him.

"Just watch me," Kendall gave her a wink before he leaned forward over the table, capturing her lips in a kiss.

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so there's part two. **_**Big Time Date Part 3 **_**is next.**

**-Rhuben**


	19. Chapter 19: Big Time Date Pt 3

**19: **_Big Time Date Part 3_

_

* * *

_

"So, uh, are you excited about…our date?" Logan asked as the group of four slowly headed down the sidewalk. He smiled over at Camille, who returned his smile with a warm one of her own. '_She really looks great tonight_.'

"You've asked me that five times since we left the Palm Woods," she chuckled, causing him to blush.

"I'd be more excited if you told us where we were going," Rhuben gave James a pointed look.

"It would ruin the surprise if I told you," James replied. Camille laughed as she heard Rhuben mutter 'I hate surprises' under her breath still messing with the flower. She then returned to the flower that was in her hand. She was trying to twist off a good chunk of the stem so she could put the flower in her hair.

'_Maybe I should've gotten Camille a flower too_' Logan thought, glancing over at James and Rhuben. He had his arm wrapped around her waist, guiding her down the walkway. '_Man, Bella really _does _look nice tonight._'

"You didn't have to get me a flower if that's what you were thinking," Camille interrupted his thoughts, taking his hand, squeezing it gently. Logan cleared his throat.

"How'd you know-"

"You've kinda been staring at it ever since you saw James give it to her," Camille chuckled. "It's only been a little bit obvious."

"Sorry," Logan blushed in embarrassment. An awkward silence fell over the two of them.

Logan nervously scratched the back of his head, desperately trying to think of something…anything to say. He could hear James and Rhuben talking and laughing behind them and cursed himself from being the shyest one when it came to talking to girls. He always found it easy talking to Riley and Rhuben so he couldn't really understand why it was different with Camille. '_Think of something, Logan! Think of something!_'

"So, how's your music going?" Camille asked, running her fingers through her hair.

"Oh, it's going great," Logan smiled. He loved talking about music and was happy that Camille had brought it up. "We've been working hard on the song that the Jacksons let us use."

"I told you they wouldn't rip you off," Camille said shaking her head. "But, you wouldn't listen to me."

"I know and I'm sorry," Logan bowed his head. "But, everything's going good. We just need to write and record a few more songs and then Gustavo will do a little mix and matching and then the CD will be out. How's everything with your acting? Have you gotten a job yet?"

"Unfortunately, no," Camille sighed. "I mean, I went out of the city the other day to try out for a part for a TV commercial for toothpaste, but they wouldn't take me. They said something about 'over acting' or something."

"Nooo," Logan gasped, putting a hand over his mouth. Camille easily saw through his charade and rolled her eyes.

"Alright, so I tend to over act a little bit," Camille admitted. "But, it's better to over act and be asked to pull back then have the directors try and force it out of you."

"I don't know much about acting, but I'll take your word for it," Logan said with a small nod. He glanced at James over Camille's shoulder as he heard his friend burst out into laughter. '_What are they talking about_?'

"So, you never told me." Camille prompted. Logan immediately returned his attention back to his date.

"Told you what?" he asked.

"How you and Riley and Rhuben became friends," Camille replied. She glanced at Rhuben over her shoulder and let out a small sigh. "She looks great tonight, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, she does," Logan admitted, not really thinking about what he was doing. '_I never knew…she looks so beautiful.' _

"So tell me the story," Camille squeezed his hand. "I want to know. Riles and Rhuben talk highly of you whenever we get together."

"They do?" Logan raised his eyebrows. He scratched his forehead, trying to hide his wide smile. "Ok, well, uh, we met years ago."

Camille listened to him talk, his eyes sparkling and a wide smile coming to his face as he recounted a story about what happened with him, Riley, and Rhuben, and then how he eventually became friends with Kendall, James, and Carlos.

'_He really enjoys spending time with all of them and he loves what he does_' Camille thought. '_He's so cute; the way his eyes sparkle as he thinks about old memories. But, I can't help but feel like he has a soft spot for Rhuben_.' She glanced at James and Rhuben again and gave them a faint smile. She had finally got the rose in her hair and was leaning against James' side as they talked. '_I don't blame him. They seem like they're having a great time_.'

"So then, we had this bright idea of climbing down each other to get out of the tree," Logan laughed. "Needless to say, we were stuck in the tree for a while."

"You're making that up! There's no way that happened!" Camille laughed, her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't laugh to loud.

"It sure did," Logan reassured her, his eyebrows moving excitedly. "Man, you wouldn't believe some of the ideas Kendall has had."

'_Wow, it's easier to talk to him then I thought_' Camille thought, a small smile on his face. "So, where are we going?"

"Oh, we're here," James replied as they crossed the street over to the beach. Camille sighed, loving the sight of the moon up in the sky, reflection off the ocean water.

"Oh, a moonlit walk on the beach," Camille clasped her hands together. "How romantic."

"That's not all," Logan replied before pointing a few ways down the beach. He looked over at Rhuben, biting his lip, trying to hide the smile that tried to work its way onto his face when he saw the look on her face.

"Please don't tell me that's a-"

"Horse? Yeah," James said turning her to face him. "Look, I know you're afraid of horses. But, what better way to get over your fear then to face it head on. I won't take it any faster than you want me to, and as soon as you say you want off, I'll stop. OK?" He gave her a pleading look, complete with the puppy dog pout.

"…Fiiiine," Rhuben lightly stomped her foot on the sand, but allowed him to pull her over to the horses.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Logan asked, giving Rhuben a concerned look. He gently rubbed her arm as Camille and James walked up to the horses. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I'll stay with you."

"That's sweet Logan, really," Rhuben gave him a smile which sent his heart into overdrive. '_Oh, lord_' he thought. "But, you're with Camille tonight, and I don't want to ruin your fun."

"You sure?" Logan asked, raising his eyebrows. '_Just to be sure_.'

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rhuben gave him a hug. "Besides, you're good with horses. What better way to impress Camille?" She stopped and peered at Logan. "She really likes you, ya know."

"Yeah, I know," Logan stepped back, smiling at her. "Well, ok, if you're sure you'll be ok. I'll see you later." He gave her a small wave before stepping over to Camille and the brown horse she was with. She smiled as she slowly ran her hand down its neck.

"James said his name is Chestnut," Camille explained, a wide smile on her face.

"Well, after you, m'lady," Logan bowed before cupping his hands. Camille stepped into his hands, climbing up onto the back of the horse. He quickly shimmied up after her, grabbing onto the reins. Camille wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Go on without us, don't worry," James gave the two of them a smile, winking at Logan. Logan rolled his eyes, blushing before gently flicking the reins, starting off down the beach.

"Logan, you are a man of mystery," Camille breathed into his ear. "I didn't know you knew how to ride horses."

"I'm not just a hockey-playing-singer, you know," Logan laughed. Camille felt his abs ripple under his shirt, and tried not to swoon then and there. "If it wasn't for Kendall, I would be back home studying to be a doctor."

"Of course, what else would be using your brain for?" Camille sarcastically asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well, if you weren't doing what you're doing now, what would you want to do?" Logan asked, turning slightly to look at her over his shoulder.

"I _am _doing what I love," Camille insisted. "I may not have that much luck recently, but I love the idea of playing a character on a TV show, making kids laugh. There's nothing else I'd want to be doing." Logan chuckled. "What?"

"If I never left Texas…Riley and I make jokes saying that we would eventually create our own doctor's office," Logan replied. "She used to want to become a doctor too." He stopped as he listened to her laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm talking about them too much. It's not fair to you."

"No, it's ok, really," Camille insisted. "They're my friends too. I can tell you guys really care for each other. Especially, Rhuben."

'_Yeah, I do_' Logan thought, his eyebrows furrowed. He blinked, shaking his head. "What?"

"Oh come on, you don't call her Bella all the time for no reason," Camille prodded him in the stomach with her fingers, laughing as he jerked back. "I mean, Riley's nickname is Landon, but you don't call her that all of the time. You really like her don't you?"

"I-I," Logan stammered trying to form words. 'Do _I really like her? I like spending time with her and it's great to have her back in my life. I don't know_.'

"Sorry for the personal questions," Camille quickly apologized, noticing the blush rise up her cheeks. '_Well, if he really _does _like her, then I can probably get help getting the two of them together. Sure, I do like him a lot, but he doesn't seem to like me back. I mean, even before he got here, I liked Guitar Dude anyway. But now, he's dating Mercedes. Just being Logan's friend is better than nothing. As long as he's happy_.'

The two of them spent the rest of the time, riding the horse. Logan even gave Camille a chance to steer, but had a careful grip on her hands just in case he needed to take over. They even stopped to play in the warm ocean water, splashing each other and playing a game of tag, having a good time. The idea of Logan and Rhuben together were out of their minds for the rest of the night.

They got back to the Palm Woods fairly early but saw Kendall and Riley sitting in the lobby talking quietly with each other. They were curled up on the couch facing each other, talking quiet. Now they both knew that it was against the rules set by Bitters to be loitering in the lobby; which was probably why they would always duck down in their seats every time they heard a door open.

As the two of them walked to the Palm Woods lobby, Camille looked at Logan and said, "So..."

"So, did you have a great time?" he asked through smiling lips.

"Of course I did. Can't you tell?" Camille let out a giggle hoping he didn't recognize that it was a ruse to mask her raging nerves. Logan leaned forward, placing a small kiss on her cheek.

"You're really cool, you know that?" Logan commented with a smile.

"I know," Camille replied, her eyes sparkling, causing Logan to laugh. "You're cool too,"

"I'm glad you had fun," he said quietly before the two of them made their way over to Kendall and Riley. They were laughing quietly and smiled as they walked up. "Where's Carlos and Stephanie?"

"They already went up to their rooms," Kendall replied. "I think they hit it off. They were making out for a while there." Riley laughed, tucking her legs underneath her. She propped her head up with her right palm, resting her elbow on the table.

"Where's James and my sister?" Riley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Apparently they're not back yet," Camille replied with a shrug. "We should go and tell your dad that she's not back yet, but will be back soon."

"Good idea," Riley nodded. "Night, Kendall."

"Night," Kendall replied with a soft smile as Riley got up from her seat. "You want to wait here for James?"

"Yeah, sure," Logan nodded dropping onto a chair.

Riley hooked arms with Camille and headed into the elevator. Camille's smile immediately dropped as a look of determination crossed her face.

"Ok, that look is _really _starting to freak me out,' Riley commented. "Why _are _you looking at me like that."

"Because I have a plan to get Rhuben and Logan together," Camille replied. "As much as it pains me to say this, but he doesn't like me as much as he likes her."

"Ah, so I'm not the only one who's noticed that?" Riley asked with a smirk. "Well, if we're going to do this, we'll need my brothers' help…and Katie's." She ran her fingers through her hair. "So how was your date?"

"All in due time," Camille patted Riley on the shoulder. "All in due time."

* * *

"Come here," James offered his hand to Rhuben. She hesitated before taking it, allowing him to gently pull her towards the horse. "This is Brazen. Don't worry, he's really gentle."

"Oh yeah," Rhuben sarcastically agreed. "A gentle, _not dangerous_, horse named Brazen."

"Here," James offered her a large brush from a bag on the side of the horse's saddle. Rhuben took it in her hand. "You brush along his neck just like this." He stepped behind her and gently placed his hands on top of hers, helping her guide the brush over the horse's side.

The horse let out a little whinny, moving forward. Rhuben let out a small shriek, jumping back into James's arms. He laughed, holding onto her. "Relax, he's just a little restless because we're not riding him," he said quietly into her ear. "It's ok, he won't hurt you."

He wrapped one arm around her waist and gently pushed her forward. Quietly, James guided Rhuben, helping her brush the horse's side. Rhuben was aware that she had a blush rising to her cheeks. It also didn't help that James's breath was tickling her ear, or the fact that she was pressed against him. She had never really been that close to a guy before, and was hating herself for reacting so 'girl'y about it; being all embarrassed and all.

She blinked when she realized that James was whistling. "What song is that?" she asked, stopping what she was doing. James took over, continuing to whistle for a second, before he turned and looked at her, smiling. "A new song. It's called Stuck. We've only really gotten the chorus down."

"Can I hear it?" Rhuben asked with a small smile.

"I thought you'd never ask," James smiled. He sucked in a breath of air, and started snapping the fingers to his left hand to the beat. "But I just keep getting stuck, stuck, but I'm never giving up, up. In the middle of a perfect day, I'm tripping over words to say."

Rhuben watched him sing, a smile on his face. He seemed to be really getting into what he was doing. '_Well, this _is _one of his biggest dreams. He'd be crushed if their demos were never picked up._' Another blush came to her cheeks as James gave her a smile as he sang; as if he was singing the song just for her.

"Cause I don't wanna keep you guessing, but I always end up getting stuck, stuck, but I'm never giving up, up," James finished the song with a small boy-ish smile. "Well, like I said that's all we have so far. What'd you think?"

"I think it would be a great song for a single," Rhuben smiled. "Really; it's catchy and everybody loves a good love song. Did you write it?"

"Kendall and I did, yeah," James replied, dropping the brush back into the bag. "We've been writing a lot of songs since we first started. But, you know Gustavo; he wants us mostly to do the songs he writes." He grabbed a plastic bag out of the bag on the saddle and pulled out a chunk of apple. He walked over to Brazen's mouth and held open his hand, flat, palm up. Brazen slid his tongue out of his mouth, wrapping it around the apple, drawing it in. James patted Brazen on the nose, wiping his hand on his jeans before walking over to Rhuben, offering his hand. "Come on."

'_Come on, Rhu, you can do this. It's just a horse. It's just a horse. It won't hurt you_' Rhuben coached herself as James put his hands on her hips, lifting her up and helping her onto the horse's back. James then easily hoisted himself up, getting on behind Rhuben. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she gently took the reins.

"You're going to need to grip them harder than that," he commented in her ear. "Yeah, just like that. Ok, now gently dig your knees into his side, and he'll start moving forward. You don't need to worry about turning left or right." Rhuben did as she was told and Brazen slowly started forward. "Good."

As the two of them slowly made their way across the sand, Rhuben pointed out every shop, store, and night club that sat in the distance giving small blurbs about the food, the music, the fashion, and any time she or her siblings went there. They talked about what they wanted to get out of being at the Palm Woods, what their biggest dreams were, and what they thought they would be doing back home if none of it had ever happened.

James tried hard to stay away from the topic of her dad, but it seemed to always come up, and he felt pretty bad reminding her of it, despite the fact that she tried to reassure him that it was ok and nothing could really bother her on their date. The topic of her and Logan's friendship came up, but she didn't want to talk about it. When asked why, she turned her head to look at him and then replied with, "Are you really that happy with me talking about another guy on our date?" which got him to start laughing.

Soon, they had to return the horse to the man that James rented it from. Rhuben felt a little disappointed as she had somewhat gotten over her fear of horses, and because she was having a good time just talking with James. He helped her off the horse, handing the reins over to the old man.

"Thanks," James and Rhuben said in unison, smiling at the man. The old man tipped his hat in farewell and James took Rhuben's hand as the two of them made their way up the beach.

"That was fun," Rhuben breathed.

"See, I knew you'd get over your fear of horses," James gave her a wide smile. "And you never asked to get off, so I'm assuming you're over your fear?"

"Kind of," Rhuben replied quietly. She bowed her head and answered the question that James was thinking of. "I was eight when it happened; when I was trampled. Logan's parents took Riles, Logan, and I to a horse ranch not far from our homes in Texas. Everything was going fine for a while. But then, something spooked the horse that I was on, and it threw me off of it and trampled me. Luckily, nothing was broken, but I've been scared of them since."

She let out a heavy sigh and raised her head. James motioned for her to continue. "I've tiried to stay as far away from horses as I could ever since that day," she went on quietly. "Logan has always been a big help, sitting out with me, even though I knew he loved doing riding horses. He was always a good friend like that." She stopped and gave James and apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I'm doing it again."

"No, it's ok," James waved his hand in the air. "He's one of your oldest friends, I understand." He stared at her, a confused look on his face.

"What?" Rhuben asked quietly, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Why are you looking at me like that?" James stared into her blue eyes, swallowing.

"Uhm, close your eyes," he quietly prompted. Rhuben looked at him before sighing and slowly closing her eyes, doing as she was told. "Ok."

James raised his hands and gently gripped her arms. Letting out the breath he was holding, he slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. Rhuben blinked open her eyes before slowly closing them again, kissing him back. James smiled against her lips as he wrapped her arms around her waist. Rhuben lifted her arms and lazily draped them over James' shoulders.

Realizing he was running out of air, James slowly pulled back, opening his eyes. He and Rhuben breathed deeply looking at each other. James smiled when he saw the blush on her cheeks. She dropped her arms from his shoulders, and clasped her hands together behind her back. The two of them locked eyes and laughed nervously.

"What was that for?" Rhuben asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Well, that's not normally a question a girl asks me after I kiss them," James laughed.

"I figured you would know by now that I'm not a normal girl," Rhuben said with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know, I know," James chuckled. He glanced at her and sighed through his nose. "I kissed you because…I wanted to kiss you once before…I backed off."

"What?" Rhuben's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on," James brushed his hair out of his face before he dropped his voice. "You really like Logan don't you?" Rhuben gaped at him, not knowing what to say. "And judging by that look I'd say I was right." He shrugged, giving her his charming smile. "At least I can say I got a chance to date you."

"Sorry, James," Rhuben took his hand, gently squeezing it.

"It's ok, really," James smiled and Rhuben could tell that he meant it. "I had a feeling that you liked him."

'I don't," Rhuben quickly replied. "I don't like Logan like that. We're just friends, that's all."

"Whatever you say."

* * *

**A/N: Be sure to check out my other BTR story: _Big Time Rush of Adrenaline_**

**-Rhuben_  
_**


	20. Chapter 20: Big Time Argument

**20: **_Big Time Argument_

_

* * *

_

Big Time Rush and the Jacksons were sitting off stage. They were on the set for their music video. Every once in a while, they would be called out of the room to do their own specific parts. Needless to say, after a while, they all were starting to get tired of hearing any little part of the song Any Kind of Guy.

As soon as they got on set that morning, Patrick, Noah, Sydney and Katie were flocking around everybody, trying to get them to talk about their dates and what happened, but no one wanted to give out any details besides. 'It was a lot of fun', 'She looked really pretty' and 'He was a real gentleman.' Of course, they wouldn't take that as an answer and would continually ask, trying to catch the teenagers off guard.

"Would you knock it off!" Riley finally snapped after the fourth time she was asked. She and Kendall were playing a card game with Rhuben and Logan as they waited to be called onto set. "All I've been hearing all day is 'How'd it go? How was it? What'd you?' Could you lay off for at least five minutes?"

Sydney's lower lip trembled, as he hated it when anyone yelled at him. He wrapped his arms around Noah's waist, pressing his face into the small of his back. Noah ran his fingers through his brother's hair as he and Patrick exchanged glances. Katie had a troubled look on her face.

"Chill out, Riles, they're just curious," Rhuben commented, her eyes on her cards.

"Sorry," Riley muttered, as if it pained her to even say that word. Patrick's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her.

'_What's her problem_?' he thought, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets.

"No reason to snap at them," Logan added, tilting his head to the side. He pursed his lips before putting down two cards. "Pass me two, please."

"Oh, are you playing Poker?" Katie asked, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"You're not playing," Kendall automatically piped up, his eyes never leaving his cards. He paused when and set his cards down when everybody turned and gave him confused looks. "If you play her in Poker, you'll be in debt to her for the rest of your lives."

"Where's James and Carlos?" Katie asked, dropping down onto one of the couches. She grabbed a magazine up off one of the lamp tables and started flipping through it. "And shouldn't Stephanie and Camille be here?"

"Carlos and Stephanie are shooting their scenes together," Rhuben replied, drawing three cards from the deck. "James is filming his dancing, clothes change, thing and Camille doesn't have to be here until later." She put down her cards and grabbed two of the Oreos that were sitting in a pile next to her. "I bet two Oreos."

"I see your two Oreos and raise you a Chips Ahoy," Logan replied, pushing the cookies into the middle of the table. He laughed as Riley twisted open one of her cookies. "You won't have anything else for the pot if you keep stuffing your face with cookies."

"Are you calling me fat?" Riley demanded, making a face. Logan flinched when mashed up bits of cookies shot out of her mouth, hitting him in the face. "Sorry."

"Logan knows you can beat him up if he provokes you enough, I doubt he'd call you fat," Noah commented with a small smirk. "So, are you guys nervous about your kissing scenes today?" Katie laughed and started making kissing noises causing Kendall to start blushing. Riley ignored them, putting down her cards.

"I fold," she explained before getting to her feet. "I'm going to get something from the snack table." Kendall watched her leave the room, tapping his cards against the table.

"You going to play Lover Boy or do you fold?" Rhuben asked, giving Kendall a teasing smile. Kendall made a face, repeating her question in a high pitched voice.

"I fold too," he replied dropping his cards. "It's between you and Logie now."

"Not for long," Logan said in a sing-song voice as he looked over his cards. Rhuben snorted in an attempt to not laugh out loud. "What?"

"Oh come on," Rhuben rolled her eyes, chuckling. "You've _never _been good at Poker. Your Poker face isn't even that great."

"Ah, but there are a few things you've missed over the years we've been apart," Logan replied lowering his cards. "Believe it or not, I've gotten pretty good at Poker and Black Jack."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Rhuben replied, a challenging look crossing her face. "But, in the meantime you can have Sydney's help playing. He's good at counting cards so whatever helps you win."

The two of them stared at each other before busting out into laughter seconds later. Logan's laughter slowly stopped as he watched her. He loved the way her eyes sparkled whenever she laughed. He always told her that her eyes were the window to her soul. He could always tell what she was feeling just by looking into them. He watched as the corners of her lips twitched into a smile, and the way her nose wrinkled as she laughed.

He blinked and cleared his throat as he returned his attention to the card game. '_She's just a griend, Logan. That's all. Just a friend_.' "So…_are _you nervous about kissing James for the music video?"

"Eh, it's not going to be _that _different in front of a camera," Rhuben said with a shrug. Loan stopped short and looked at her, his cards falling out of his hands. "What?"

"You kissed him?" Logan asked, raising his eyebrows. "Already? When?"

"Don't tell me you never kiss on the first date," Rhuben gave Logan a teasing smile. She glanced at him and let out a heavy sigh, realizing that he wasn't going to drop the subject. They also had the attention of Katie, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes, James and I did kiss last night?"

"You're right, it's none of my business," Logan agreed, stretching his legs out under the table. He looked around the room, drumming the table with his hands. '_Come on, just ask. She won't get mad at you for it_. _You guys are friends, you can tell each other anything_.' "How was it?"

Rhuben gave him a weird look before shaking her head. "It was…ok. I mean, a kiss is a kiss right?"

"Um, we're just going to…go," Patrick nudged Noah in the side getting to his feet. Sydney followed suit and joined his brothers by the couch. "Come on, Katie."

"No way, this is getting too good," Katie objected, a gleeful look on her face. Rhuben shot her a look and she put her hands up defensively. "I'm going, I'm going." She got to her feet and joined Patrick, Noah,a and Sydney. "Let's go see how the shooting is going."

"Yeah," they agreed before rushing out of the room.

Logan waited for them to leave before he looked over at Rhuben. She grabbed one of the Oreo's and twisted it open, starting to lick at the cream. He smiled slightly, remembering how the two of them got into an argument years ago about the 'proper' way to eat an Oreo cookie: twist and lick the cream, or bite straight through. He noticed the small blush on her cheeks and suddenly felt slightly annoyed.

"Why didn't you tell me you kissed James?" Logan asked, trying not to let the annoyance out into his voice. "I mean, we tell each other everything."

"Not everything," Rhuben replied. "It's not all that important so I didn't tell you, what's the big deal?"

"It's not," Logan quickly reassured her. "I'm just saying that we tell each other everything. That's all." Rhuben scrutinized him. "What?"

"You're annoyed about the fact that I kissed James aren't you?" she asked gauging his reaction. Logan scoffed, chuckling.

"No."

"You're a horrible liar," Rhuben shot back. "When you lie either your eyes get wide, you talk in a high pitched voice, or you start giggling uncontrollably."

"That's not true," Logan protested in a high pitched voice. As Rhuben gave him an 'I told you so' look he cleared his throat and tried again. "it's not." He made a face when his voice squeaked again. He let out a small growl of frustration.

"Why does it bother you, Logie?" Rhuben demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look, you've only known James for a few months," Logan said clasping his hands together on the table.

"So?" Rhuben asked with a shrug.

"So, nothing," Logan replied with a shrug of his own. "Ever since your guys' date last Friday you've been hanging out a lot; doing homework and stuff. And you call him 'Handsome' all the time."

"Relax, Logie, he's just a friend,' Rhuben propped up her chin with her hand, her elbow resting on the table. Logan could tell she was getting annoyed by the edge to her tone, but he wanted to finish what he was going to say. "And it's just a nickname. There's nothing going on between us."

"I'm just warning you that he attracts a lot of girls," Logan replied quietly.

"I'm aware of that, Logan," Rhuben snapped. "What are you getting at?"

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," Logan said quietly, placing his hand on top of hers. Rhuben quickly pulled it away, a look of anger crossing her face.

"I won't," RHuben replied shortly. "Because we're not officially dating and we don't plan to."

"You're not?" Logan asked, a surprised look crossing his face. "He told me you guys had a great time on your date."

"So, you _did _already know that James and I kissed?" Rhuben demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Actually, no," Logan admitted. "He didn't tell any of us that. He left it out. But…if you guys had a good time, then why aren't you dating?"

"We just agreed not to," Rhuben replied. "Besides, he's not really my type. Don't get me wrong, he's really nice and sweet, and I understand why he's the 'face' of your band. But, he's not the kind of person I see myself getting married to years from now."

"Oh, well, that's good," Logan said with a sigh, scratching the back of his neck. He realized he said the wrong thing when he saw the look on Rhuben's face. "That's not good? Why's it not good?"

"I don't want just anybody," Rhuben replied. "After having to suffer through the abuse my dad gave me, it's hard for me to trust people, let alone allowing them to get close to me, or to love someone. I want someone that will understand what I'm going through, to know when to leave me alone, to know when t just listen and comfort me when I need it. To make me feel secure."

"You just described me," Logan muttered after a moment of silence.

"You are an amazing friend, Logan, I don't see why you're surprised that I described you," Rhuben said with a teasing smirk. "But, even if that is true, I don't need you protecting me. I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, well, if that was the case, your dad would've been in jail a long time ago," Logan replied. His eyes got wide and his hand flew up to his mouth, covering it in shock. Rhuben glared at him, getting to his feet.

"How could you throw that right in my face?" she demanded. "What kind of friend are you?"

"Your best friend," Logan replied, also getting to his feet.

"You don't know the whole story behind that," Rhuben shook her head. Her voice was shaking as she tried to hold back her tears. '_Think before you speak, Logan! Think!_' He mentally scolded himself, hating to see one of his oldest friends look at him with such anger. "You don't understand why we put up with it for so long."

"Then tell me," Logan said quietly, getting up to face her.

"We would've been split up," Rhuben replied crossing her arms over her chest. "We would've gone back to the orphanage or be put in foster homes. But, we wouldn't together. People adopt younger kids like Sydney, maybe Patrick and Noah would still be able to stay with each other, but Riley and I don't have much hope for ourselves. We'd stay in the orphanage until we turned 18 and then we'd have to find out what to do with ourselves, without our brothers."

"I-I didn't know," Logan stammered. "Oh, Bella, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"It sounded like you did," Rhuben hissed in reply.

Before Logan could reply there was a crash and a scream. There was the sound of footsteps thudding against the floor before Noah burst the door open. His face was flushed and he had a frightened look on his face.

"What's going on?" Logan asked, hearing crying coming from outside.

"Rhu, we need help," Noah breathed. "It's happening again."

"What?" Rhuben asked rushing over to Noah, grabbing his shoulders. She peered into his eyes. "What's going on?" Noah glanced at Logan then back at Rhuben, an apologetic look on his face.

"It's Riley; it's happening again," he hissed. A confused look crossed her face as Noah gave her a pointed look. Then a look of clarity crossed her face before pushing by him and heading out of the room, Logan hot on her heels.

* * *

Riley grabbed a plate off one end of the food table. She made her way down the line of food, glancing over everything that was set out in front of her. She settled on grapes and started piling the fruit onto her plate.

"You sure love fruit don't you?" Kendall asked, walking up behind her.

"I love grapes," Riley replied with a shrug, glancing over the tables. "Ooh, buffalo wings. I love buffalo wings!" She threw the plate over her shoulder, the grapes shooting off in random directions. She then started piling her plate with the barbecue sauce covered meat.

"Are you ok?" Kendall asked, eyeing her.

"Don't give me that look," Riley snapped as she grabbed some napkins. "I'm fine, just…excited for the shoot. I love making music videos."

Kendall smiled as he thought about the reason why she was there on set to begin with. He (and the rest of the guys of Big Time Rush) had to play opposite a girl for the music video to really portray to the audience that they could be 'any kind of guy' they wanted. Kendall and Riley had to kiss during the music video and Gustavo made them go out on a date to increase their chemistry on set.

He had a great time on their date and he was sure that she did too for she didn't push him away when he got up the nerve to kiss her. He never realized how much he liked her until he saw what she was wearing for their date that night. Ever since, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about her.

"Yeah, I'm excited too," Kendall said with a smile. He leaned over to kiss her, but Riley jerked back, giving him a weird look.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. An embarrassed look crossed his face as Kendall scratched at the back of his neck.

"I was…going to kiss you," he replied.

"Why?" Riley demanded. She turned to face him, abandoning her plate.

"Well, um, I mean, we had a great time on our date and you kissed me back then, so I just thought that…" Kendall trailed off, blushing even more.

"You thought that we were official?" Riley asked, raising her eyebrows. "Kendall, that was just one date. Sure, I enjoyed the kiss. But, that doesn't mean we're official or anything." Riley gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry if I made you feel as if we were dating."

"Um, that's ok," Kendall replied forcing a laugh. "You're right, it was just one date! I don't know why I got anything out of that. I mean, we never really talked about it and I never asked you to be my girlfriend or anything."

"Right," Riley slowly nodded her head. "Ok, cool. I mean, as long as we're still friends and everything."

"Yeah, friends," Kendall repeated, placing a hand on her shoulder. Riley flinched under his touch and Kendall quickly pulled her hand away from her. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Riley replied dropping her plate. She looked around the room as people walked by carrying some equipment. She ran her hand over her arm, biting her lower lip.

"What's wrong?" Kendall asked, eyeing her. "Are you ok?"

"Stop asking me that," Riley snapped, suddenly annoyed. "I hate it when people ask me that. It makes me feel like…like I'm not normal. I'm fine, ok? I'm fine!"

"Ok, ok, sorry," Kendall replied, putting up his hands in defense. "It just really looks like something's bothering you."

Riley hesitated before letting out a heavy sigh. "I can't stop thinking that…I can't stop thinking about my dad." She continued on when she saw the confused look on Kendall's face. "I have these nightmares about him, that he isn't in jail and that we can't get help in time."

"Riles, he's gone, you have nothing to worry about," Kendall said quietly. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "We're here for you guys."

"I told you, I don't need your help," Riley muttered into his chest. "Let me go."

"Uh, Kendall, I'd do what she says," Sydney quietly commented as he slowly made his way over to Kendall and Riley.

He, Patrick, Noah, and Katie were watching the whole ordeal unfold. Patrick and Noah had a worried look on their faces. They were biting their lips, looking as if they had something to say. Katie looked back and forth from Kendall and Riley to Patrick, Noah, and Sydney.

"I said, _get off me_," Riley shouted, pushing Kendall away from her.

He stumbled back a few steps, slamming into a ladder. Crying out in pain, he rubbed the back of his head, he stumbled forward as the ladder knocked over, hitting a giant light, causing it to hit the floor with a loud crash.

"Ri-Ri, calm down," Sydney whined making his way over to her. He grabbed onto her arm, pulling her away from Kendall. She was glaring at him, a dark look on her face.

"Let go," Riley shoved him away from her and he toppled back, hitting his head on the floor. Katie rushed over to him just as he burst out into tears.

"What's going on?" James asked as he and Carlos entered the room. "Man, you guys are going to love shooting the video. It's so awesome. You get to change into these awesome clothes and-" he stopped short when he saw the grapes on the floor and Sydney crying.

"Ooh, grapes," Carlos smiled, picking a handful up off the floor and shoving it into his mouth. "Are there any red ones?"

"Riley, what's the matter?" Kendall asked, rubbing the back of his head. Noah slowly backed up towards the waiting room door.

"Pat, check your pocket!" Noah nodded towards the lump in his brother's pocket, fumbling for the door handle. "See if you have any of the pills."

"Right," Patrick replied as Noah pushed open the door to the waiting room.

Kendall grabbed onto Riley's arms and turned her to face him, trying to talk sense into her as Carlos and James looked on, a confused look on their faces. Patrick shoved his hand into his deep cargo pockets. His fingers wrapped around a cylinder and he quickly pulled it out. He juggled with it, trying to grab it in the air.

"Pat, what's going on?" Rhuben asked rushing up to him.

"She just suddenly snapped," Patrick replied, twisting off the top of the jar. He dumped two of the white pills into his hand before making his way over to Riley. "I don't think she's been taking her pills." He grabbed onto Riley's arm turning her around to face him. "Riles, you have to take this!"

"I'm not crazy," she shouted at him, knocking the pills and the bottle to the ground.

Little white circular pills spilled out onto the floor, rolling away. He then backslapped him across the face. Patrick let out a scream of pain, his head shooting to the side. He brought his hand up to his stinging cheek, looking at her in shock.

"Come on, Riles," Rhuben gently moved Patrick away from Riley as a look of horror crossed Riley's face.

Noah wrapped his arms around his twin in a tight hug as Patrick continued to stare at her in shock. Riley grabbed onto Rhuben's arm before pulling her out of the room. She kept repeated 'I'm sorry, Patrick' over and over again as she was led out.

"She's never hit me before," Patrick said in a dazed voice, his fingers shaking.

"What was that about," Katie asked, checking to be sure Sydney's head wasn't split open. She picked up the bottle that was on the floor, squinting as she read the label. "Divalproex. What does that mean?"

"It's a mood stabilizer," Logan gasped getting everyone's attention. "S-Since when has Riley been Bipolar?"

"Ever since our dad started hitting us," Patrick replied, rubbing his cheek. His face was somewhat pale, but his cheek had a burst of red color on it. "She's never gotten over it. She thinks it's all her fault."

* * *

**A/N: Ok, guys. 10 chapters until this story is over. There might be a sequel to this story. I'm not sure if I'm going to write a sequel because I don't know if I'll be able to write it as good as this one and sometimes my sequels end up being really bad compared to the original. But, my other story **_**Big Time Rush of Adrenaline **_**is kinda/sorta taking it's place. I've taken down **_**Big Time Rush of Adrenaline **_**to re-write what I had so far. But, I hope you read that after this story.**

**-Rhuben**


	21. Chapter 21: Big Time Decision

**21: **_Big Time Decision_

_

* * *

_

"Why didn't you tell me she was bipolar?" Ronan asked as he looked over Patrick's cheek later that afternoon.

The music video shoot (much to Gustavo's dismay) had to be pushed back because of the recent events that happened. As a punishment for it, the boys of Big Time Rush had to work in the studio until Gustavo said it was ok for them to leave. Knowing him, they knew they weren't going to see daylight for a while. The Jacksons immediately went up to Ronan's apartment to tell him everything that happened.

"Because she's been taking her pills regularly," Noah replied quietly. "At least we _thought _she was."

"So, how is it?" Patrick asked, rubbing the back of his neck. He had been sitting, looking off to the left for a good ten minutes and his neck was starting to hurt.

"You're going to have a pretty good bruise for a while," Ronan replied taking a step back. "But other than that, you look like you'll be ok."

"Could you get me some ice though?" Patrick asked rubbing his cheek. Wordlessly, Rhuben got up and went into the freezer. "I think it's a little swollen."

"Pat, I'm _so _sorry," Riley groaned from her seat in the chair. She had her head in her hands and was staring at the ground. "I didn't mean…to act like dad."

"Don't say that," Sydney replied firmly. He was sitting next to the chair she was in, on the floor. He reached out his small hand and patted her on the knee. "You're not like daddy. You just made a mistake."

"I don't blame you, Ri, don't worry," Patrick muttered as Rhuben wrapped the ice in a cloth and pressed it up against Patrick's cheek. "Why did you stop taking your pills anyway?"

"Because…I figured if dad wasn't here anymore, then I wouldn't have a reason to use it," Riley replied quietly. "I guess I was wrong." She looked over at Noah when he started laughing. "What?"

"You'd have to take those pills anyway," he pointed out. Riley raised her eyebrows, encouraging her to continue. "Think about it; you're the moodiest one out of all of us. If it wasn't for you being bipolar, I bet we'd get you those pills to make you stop being a, excuse my language when I say this, a bitch sometimes."

"Ha ha," Riley sarcastically laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Either way, from now on you're taking those pills in front of me," Ronan announced crossing his arms over his chest. Riley made a sound of protest looking up at him. "I'm putting my foot down on this one. Every day at the same time, you're taking your pills in front of me."

"She was doing fine when I kept watch," Patrick muttered. Ronan smiled and mussed his hair. "Watch the spikes." He made a face and rotated his jaw. "I think I could use some painkillers too."

"I'm on it," Rhuben replied getting to her feet again.

"Listen guys, I think we need to talk," Ronan rested his arms on the couch, looking at all of them. Patrick and Noah exchanged glances. Sydney looked up from his computer, and Riley leaned back in her seat, giving him her full attention.

_Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz._

Rhuben pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She glanced at the display screen before flipping it open with her thumb. Jabbing her thumbnail into the power button, she turned it off before dropping it onto the counter with a loud clatter.

"Who was that?" Ronan asked, glancing over his shoulder at her.

"No one," Rhuben replied twisting off the top to the jar of Ibuprofen. She dumped two pills into her hand before filling up a cup with water and walking back over to Patrick. "Here, you can't take more than six in a single day."

"Kay," Patrick replied before taking the pills and placing them on his tongue. He downed the water in his cup as the telephone rang. Ronan walked over to the phone on the wall and pulled it off the hook, holding up to his ear.

"Y'hello?" he said into the phone, leaning against the wall. His gaze landed on Rhuben as she dropped onto the couch next to Noah. "Yeah, she's right here." Ronan put his hand over the mouth piece of the phone and mimed tossing the phone to Rhuben. "It's Logan." He tossed her the phone and she easily caught it.

"Thanks," Rhuben replied, glancing at the phone with a bored look. She pressed a button on the phone before tossing it into an empty chair.

"Ok, I may be way off base with this…but are you mad at him or something?" Ronan asked tilting his head to the side.

"Or something," Rhuben replied with a smirk. "What did you want to talk to us about?"

"Wellll," Ronan held out the word as he lowered himself to the floor so his back was resting against the couch. "I was thinking about your dad and how he wanted you guys to move back to Australia."

'What about it?" Riley asked a confused look on his face.

"You guys, after a while, thought it was a good idea to leave," Ronan reminded them. "To help out Big Time Rush; Griffin wouldn't have to choose between your band and theirs, they'd be chosn automatically."

"Right," Sydney nodded.

"So…I think we should move," Ronan replied gauging their reaction. "Go back to Australia for a little while." The Jacksons all gaped at him before letting out a collective, "WHAT?" Ronan made a face, grabbing his earlobe and pulling at it. "Ok, I kinda thought you'd take it better than this."

"But why?" Sydney asked, widening his blue eyes. He pushed his computer aside and made his way over to Ronan. He kneed down beside him, a small pout on his face. "Don't you like it here?"

"Oh yeah, Los Angeles is my hometown," Ronan replied mussing Sydney's feathery soft hair. "I love it here and I love working here."

"Vehn guy du vu want to leaf?" Patrick asked. He was leaning forward, pressing the ice pack into his cheek. He had his chin propped up by his hand, his elbow resting on his knee. Ronan gave him a confused look.

"He said, 'Then why do you want to leave?'," Noah clarified. "He's trying to talk without moving his jaw."

"I think it would be better for you guys to get away from this place for a while and take a little break with your music," Ronan replied. "I've been thinking about this for a while. With everything that's happened with your father, living here will keep reminding you of that."

"He's got a point," Sydney agreed turning to look at his siblings. "Being in a place that reminds you of the abuse that you have sustained allows for people to change their behavior and how they act for the rest of their lives. For example; a child could go through academic difficulties, aggressive behavior, alcohol and/or other drug abuse, anxiety, attention problems, bad dreams, bed wetting-"

"We get it," Riley and Rhuben snapped in unison. Sydney stuck his tongue out at them before crossing his arms and dropping to the ground.

"We could just be kids for once." Noah said quietly. "Seriously. We don't have to be home schooled, or be pushed to do whatever it is dad wants. We can do what we want."

"To a degree," Ronan added with a nod. "I'm your legal guardian remember?"

"Foster parent," Sydney reminded him. Ronan clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes. "Same thing."

"And this _is _a good reason to leave," Noah continued on. "We don't have to be reminded of dad and everything that he's done for us. And all the money we've made, we can actually get pay checks for it."

"You never got paid for everything you did?" Ronan asked raising his eyebrows.

"Oh we got paid alright," Rhuben commented sarcastically. "Only we never saw it or got to use any of it because dad used it for his own stuff."

"What if I gave you guys 8 reasons to stay here," Riley said after a moment of silence, sitting up in her chair. "8 very good reasons why it was hard for us to decide about leaving in the first place." She started counting off on her fingers. "Kendall, James, Carlos, Logan, Mama Knight, Katie, Stephanie, and Camille."

"You guys, it's not like you wouldn't come back," Ronan reminded them. "It'll only be for a little while. And your dad told me that your older brother is at college in Australia. You could be closer to him. He's been worried sick about you guys while you were here."

"He _does _email us every day," Sydney replied. "This way he won't have to worry as much."

"I can see that you guys have a lot to think about," Ronan said patting Sydney on the back. HE got to his feet. "I'll be down in my office working on the last few songs. You guys stay here and try to figure this all out. Come to me with your decision."

"Can we eat out tonight?" Rhuben suddenly asked. "Just 'cause?"

"Sure," Ronan smiled. "Oh, and talk to Logan too. That's not the first time he called this apartment and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"Yeah, well, Logan has never really been one to take a hint," Riley commented with a small laugh. "See ya later, Ronan."

"I won't be back late," Ronan gave a peace sign over his shoulder as he left the apartment. Riley sighed getting out of the chair.

"Alright around the table," she commanded, taking charge as she sat down. Her siblings did as they were told. "Syd, computer."

"One step ahead of you," Sydney gave a small salute, his dimples appearing in his cheek as he lifted his laptop computer up onto the table. "Fire away."

"Alright, so we're going to make a list of reasons why it's a good idea to leave and why it's a bad idea to leave," Riley announced. "Our friends; we've never had anybody in our lives care about us as much as they do and it's a pretty nice feeling."

"Bad thing; Ronan has to pick up everything and move halfway across the world," RHuben pointed out. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't think it's really fair for him to have to do that."

"Well, he has our best interest at heart," Noah brushed his hair away from his face with his shoulder. "Bad thing; we have to take a break with our music and we love performing."

"Good thing; the first time in a _long time_ we get a break and we aren't being forced to do everything," Patrick contradicted his brother, removing the ice pack. "We can write songs on our own time without a deadline, or we don't have to write at all."

"Bad thing; we moved away from Australia in the first place because of what happened there," Riley pointed out. Sydney stopped typing and gave her a confused look. "Oh right, you were only one years old when it happened."

"I only remember a fire, that's it," Sydney replied, scratching his forehead to hide the pout on his face. "But, if it's really that bad, I don't think I really want to know."

"Let's just say it's the reason why Julius is kinda overprotective with us," Noah replied mussing his hair. "Oh, good thing; Julius is there."

"You guys, it doesn't matter how long our list is, we have reasons to stay and we have reasons to go," Rhuben said with a heavy sigh. "Either way, bad things have happened to us in both places. The only really good thing that's come out of this and that will always be with us is that we have Ronan, who also wants to be an actual dad to us, and the fact that we're finally going to get the family we want."

Her siblings looked doubtful so she continued. "Sure, we wouldn't have a mom but we'd finally have a dad that actually cares about our well being. And we wouldn't have to constantly be afraid of what to say because we didn't know whether or not we'd be hit. Riley and I don't have to worry about whether or not it's safe leaving you guys alone."

"But, also you two wouldn't have to be afraid of falling in love if you stayed here," Patrick pointed out in a quiet voice. "Riles, it's obvious that you like Kendall, and Rhu you're so in love with Logan it's not even funny. If dad never brought us to California who knows, you might not have met them."

"The same goes for you two and Katie," Sydney pointed out.

"Yeah that's true, Pat and I also learned that falling for the same girl will happen but we'll learn how to deal with it," Noah replied. "I think moving here was a good idea in the long run. Good things always come out of bad situations."

"Guys, we might be passing up the chance to go home," Riley stated.

"This is our home," Sydney replied quietly. "I don't remember Australia, and ever since we moved to the United States, we've never had a chance to go back. Guys, really, I'm ten years old and I've never stopped working. Don't get me wrong, I love doing what I'm doing. I love the fans, but I think it's time we took a break."

"Once our fans find out what happened, I think they'll understand," Rhuben added. "So, I'm all for going back to the Land of Oz."

Riley smirked as she heard the nickname. She hasn't heard it for a long time and she missed being around other people who spoke with an accent. She missed the beach parties she went to a lot over the weekend. Most of all, she missed her brother and was a bit jealous of the fact that he got to live in a beautiful city ever day.

"I'm in," she said putting out a fist. Her siblings smiled when they caught on to the ritual they used to do. They all put out their fists in a circle, lightly bumping them with each other. "Looks like we're going back home."

"I guess we should start packing," Patrick muttered looking around. Ever since they moved into Ronan's apartment, they never really unpacked any of the boxes. They were stacked against the back wall, some of them open when they were looking for something, but most of them were closed and pushed out of the way. Patrick shrugged. "Or we should start packing _his _stuff."

"We don't know when we're going to leave," Noah pointed out.

"But knowing him, he's going to want to leave as soon as possible," Sydney said quietly as he picked up the phone. He pressed Ronan's phone number into the phone and put it on speaker phone. Ringing filled the room. The phone rang twice before Ronan picked up. "We've made our decision."

"_And_?"

"We want to go back to Australia," Riley replied after a moment's hesitation as she looked at her siblings for confirmation. "We think it's a good idea."

"_Ok, listen, I want to move as soon as possible. I've actually anticipated your guys' saying you wanted to move so I've been packing for a while. How would you feel moving by the end of this week? You sure you want to do this?_"

"That's four days away," Riley whispered to her siblings. "You still wanna?" They all nodded in reply.

"We're sure," Rhuben nodded. Ronan bade them goodbye and hung up. Sydney pressed a button on the phone before placing it face down on the table. She looked over at her siblings before asking the one question that was on their minds, "How are we going to tell everyone?"

Once again Riley took charge. She pointed at Rhuben and Noah and said, "You go find Camille and Stephanie and tell them." The two of them nodded and headed out of the apartment. "Sydney, you go find Katie and tell her. Seeing as the guys are int eh studio all day, she's most likely in her apartment, but check the lobby too," Sydney gave her a thumbs up before heading out of the room. "And we'll go tell the guys."

"Got it," Patrick gave weak smile. "But, what's going to happen to you and Kendall?"

"Let's just say I hope he can wait," Riley replied as she ushered him out the door. Seconds later, they walked back in. "Can't leave the dog by himself."

"Come on, boy," Patrick cooed in a high pitched voice as he opened the dog cage in the corner of the room. He grabbed the leash and attached it to Roxas's collar before heading back out the door.

* * *

"Still not answering?" Carlos asked after Logan let out a noise of frustration , throwing his phone down onto a couch. He dropped down onto it, placing a pillow over his mouth and screaming into it.

Despite the fact that Gustavo said the boys would have to practice their harmonies with no breaks until he told them to stop, they were on a twenty minute break. Kelly was able to convince him that they deserved one and with everything that's happened recently, it was obvious that they didn't have 100 percent concentration on what they were doing. They were sitting on the couches and chairs of the waiting room to the recording studio.

"No," Logan groaned, his voice muffled. "This time it went into voicemail. I think her phone is off."

"Probably because you've been trying to call her every second since you got into an argument," James pointed out. "Why did you even say that to her?"

"It slipped out," Logan replied pulling the pillow away from his face. "I didn't mean to say it."

"Look, Logan, I think you just need to give her some time to come around," Kendall gently advised his friend. "Y'know, give her time to think about it and not be mad anymore."

"Actually, we tend hold grudges for a long time," Riley commented as she and Patrick rounded the corner.

"Puppy," Carlos cheered before dropping to the ground, pulling Roxas to him in a hug. "Who's a good boy?"

"Here, you're going to want this too," Patrick commented, pulling a plastic bag of doggie treats out of his pocket and handed them to Carlos. "Just don't give him too much and make sure he doesn't eat too fast or he'll throw it back up."

"He reminds me of Sparky," Carlos smiled happily as Roxas licked his face.

"What happened to Sparky?" Riley asked, turning her attention to the other boys of Big Time Rush.

"He got hit by a car," Kendall replied. His eyes widened when Carlos whipped his head to give him a wide eyed look of horror.

"What?" Carlos asked, his voice shaking. "My parents said he ran away."

"Did I say he got hit by a car?" Kendall asked nervously. He let out a nervous laugh as Carlos nodded his head. "I mean, he _did _run away. He hopped the fence and just…took off."

"_SPARKY_," Carlos let out a loud wail before burying his head into Roxas's fur.

"Anyway, what's up?" James asked, getting off the arm of the chair he was sitting on. He nodded towards Patrick. "How's your cheek?"

"Just a little sore," Patrick replied lightly touching his cheek. "But, that's not why we're here. We have some news for you guys."

"Good or bad?" Kendall asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You're going to want to sit down," Riley replied. She then made a face. "It's bad news. I should've just told ya. I mean, the whole 'you should sit down' thing is a dead give away."

Logan peered at Riley and Patrick, his heart beating in his chest. He hadn't felt that scared since he found out the Jacksons were moving away from Texas in the first place. The second closest time was when his mom came to tell him that she was taking him home. In both occasions, he was afraid of what anybody had to say and always fought the urge to just leave people behind, not wanting to face the fact that his life was changing.

In Kendall's case, he immediately flashed back to the night he and Katie found out their dad had left them. He was six at the time so he doesn't remember all of the details. But, he did remember his mom and his sister crying a lot. He also remembered how he felt like somehow it was all his fault. He didn't believe his mom whenever she told him it wasn't his or Katie's fault. He made a promise to himself that he would never feel that way again.

"What's going on/" Logan asked after a moment of silence. "Is everything ok? How's Rhuben; is she ok?"

"Well, she's still not talking to you if that's really what you're asking about," Riley replied with a sigh, sliding her hands into her jeans pockets. "First we want to apologize to you guys."

"Apologize for what?" James asked, a confused look on my face. He then snapped is fingers and pointed at Patrick. "_You're _the one that used my Cuda Hari Gel didn't you? It explains why your spikes always look so perfect." He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Dude, you could've asked."

"That's not what we're talking about," Patrick replied, rubbing his forehead. "We want to apologize for all the secrets we've kept from you guys since we met you. You're our best friends and it really isn't fair to you."

"And Kendall, I want to apologize _to you _about the whole are we boyfriend/girlfriend thing," Riley replied. The corners of her mouth twitched as she saw him perk up. "At the risk of embarrassing myself, I'd love to be your girlfriend. You help me learn to have fun and you're really sweet and nice."'

"And the fact that you're about as devious as she is when it comes to making plans helps too," Patrick supplied.

"Really?" Kendall breathed.

"Really," Riley nodded and smiled. "And with that whole Bipolar mania thing, I know you wouldn't give up on me, trying to help me get in a stable mood." She then let out a heavy sigh. "But-"

"Oh, I knew there's a 'but'," Kendall groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What's the 'but'?"

"But, I don't know if you'd be willing to try for a long distance relationship," Riley replied slowly.

"What do you mean?" Logan asked in a quiet voice. His brown eyes were filled with worry and confusion. "A-Are you moving?"

"Yeah," Patrick bit his bottom lip, rubbing his arm. He looked at each of the boys of Big Time Rush. Kendall was silently staring at them, James was biting his bottom lip, twisting his hands in his lap, Logan had his arms crossed over his chest, his head tilted back as he looked up at the ceiling, and Carlos had a sad puppy dog-ish pouty look on his face. "We're going back to Australia. We're leaving on Saturday."

"You're leaving?" Logan asked, his voice cracking with sadness. "But…I mean…we just met up again."

"Don't talk like that, Logie," Riley sighed. "This was a hard decision for us to begin with. But, we think it's better for us to get away from this city for a while."

"But, what about your music?" Carlos asked, tilting his head to the side. "You album?"

"We're going to take a break for a little while," Patrick explained. "We haven't had one pretty much since we started. We want to see what the life of a normal kid is like for a change. Ronan's renting out a house down there. You guys could come and visit?"

"How long are you going to be gone for?" Kendall asked with a sigh. He refused to look them in the eye. He kept his gaze on his feet. His voice was filled with emotion.

"Uhm, we're not sure about that," Patrick admitted, with a small laugh. "A few months maybe?" He bit his bottom lip and scratched the back of his head. "Guys, it's not that we won't come back. We just kinda want to start over with a clean slate."

"As long as you're happy," Kendall said getting to his feet. "I understand why you guys are doing this." He stepped over to the two of them giving them a hug. He held onto Riley longer than Patrick and as he pulled away, he whispered into her ear, "I can wait for you."

"Really?" Riley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Hey, I've waited this long for a reason to ask you out, I think I can wait a little while longer for you to get back and we can officially start dating," Kendall said quietly, gently swinging her arm as he took her hand. He smiled and kissed the side of her head.

"Hey Carlos, I think you guys should keep him," Patrick commented, offering Roxas's leash out to his friend. Carlos looked up at him, his eyes wide.

"Are you sure?" he asked, taking the leash. "I mean, we got him for you."

"And now we're giving him to you," Patrick replied, putting up his hands and backing up a step. "Seriously, he's yours now. Just take good care of him."

"I'm going to miss you guys," Logan said getting to his feet, giving Riley a big hug. He stepped back and gave her a warm smile. "You guys really helped make me feel like I fit in here."

"Just don't give up your dream od becoming a doctor," Riley laughed, patting his arm. "I still want to open an office as partners." She then turned to James. "And be sure you keep me updated with how everything is going. We could give you tips on how to achieve your 'dream'."

"You got it," James opened his arms for a hug. Once Riley let go, he mussed Patrick's hair, despite his cries of protest.

"Oh, and don't worry, you'll find a great girl too," Riley said with a grin. "Come on Pat, we should get going."

"W-wait, where's Bella?" Logan asked, suddenly coming to his senses. "I have to apologize. I won't be able to live with myself if I don't apologize."

"She's probably on the pool deck," Riley replied. "She and Noah were looking for Stephanie and Camille to tell them the news."

"Ok, thanks," Logan replied before taking off.

"Logan!" James called after him. Logan skidded to a stop turning to look at him. James looked around before grabbing flowers out of the vase that was sitting on a random table. "Here, this might help."

Logan breathed a 'thank you' and started running again, but James stopped him again. He pulled a container of Cuda Hair Gel out of his pocket and scooped out a glob. Slapping his hands together, he rubbed the gel between his hands before sticking them into Logan's hair, helping him shape it.

"James!" Logan snapped, batting his friend's hands away. "I don't think this is the best time to-" He paused and looked at his hair in the mirror, smiling and winking at his reflection. "Not bad."

"It's a gift," James smiled, cracking his knuckles. "Now go get her."

"Thanks," Logan smiled before racing off again.

* * *

"Seriously?" Camille asked setting down her cup of smoothie. "You guys are going back to Australia?"

"When are you going?" Stephanie asked, brushing her hair from her faze as a breeze blew. "We should throw a party for you guys. Well, I mean, I've only known you for a few days but-"

"It's ok, Steph," Noah said in his quiet tone, holding up his hand. "We get it. But, thanks for understand. You're an awesome friend."

"As for when we're leaving," Sydney piped up, turning to Katie. "On Saturday, but we don't know how long we're going to be gone for. A few months at the most."

The Jacksons found the three girls by the Palm Woods pool, hanging out together. They were shocked about what Rhuben, Noah, and Sydney told them but they understood why they wanted to do it at the same time.

"Well, I think a party is a good idea," Katie stated, shifting in her seat. "I have to tell my mom, she could make a cake. Oh, or we could help you pack. Whichever helps."

"Make it chocolate cake and you have yourself a deal," Sydney said with a smile. His dimples appearing in his cheeks. "Well, you guys are taking this better than I thought you would."

"What, did you expect us to be all clingy and never leave your side until you leave?" Camille asked casually, messing with her straw. She paused as a smirk came to her face.

"You're going to do that anyway aren't you?" Rhuben asked, leaning back in her chair.

"Yeah," Camille nodded as the rest of them burst out laughing. "Hey, I heard about your argument with Logan."

"And how, may I ask, did you find out about that?" Rhuben asked before turning and giving her brothers a pointed look. They twiddled their thumbs, looking in the other direction, whistling. "What, is nothing secret around here?"

"Really it's not," Stephanie replied. "Somehow my dad found out about the no budget horror film."

"What happened?" Katie asked brushing her hair behind her ears.

"Well, at first he was upset about it because I've been lying to him and sneaking out and all of that," Stephanie replied. "But then he saw my movie and how well it looked. He let me off with a warning. I want to thank you guys again for helping me out with it."

"I told you James and them would fall for it," Rhuben laughed as she chewed on her straw. They all jumped when they heard a loud crashing sound coming from the Palm Woods lobby followed by a high pitched scream. "What the heck was that?"

"It sounded like Kendall's scream from the time he got a staple stuck in his finger," Katie said with a smile. She started laughing at the memory. "It was really funny. He was twelve right, so I was nine. So he was stapling his homework papers together and –"

"BELLA!"

"Or it could be Logan,' Katie commented, stopping in the middle of her story as they all watched Logan half stumble, half run out of the Palm Woods.

"What's the matter with him?" Stephanie asked as they watched him fall to the ground before getting back up to his feet.

"I don't know, but he's coming this way," Noah commented, raising his eyebrows in amusement. Sydney gaped in horror.

"He's going to want to watch out for-" Sydney stopped short when Logan tripped over the leg of a porch chair. Letting out a small screamed, he lost his balance and fell into the pool. "The porch chair."

They all watched as Logan popped his head above the water, breathing in a deep breath of air before lapsing into a couching fit. He slowly made his way over to the edge of the pool and rested his arms on it, breathing heavily. He brushed his hair out of his face and spotted Rhuben watching him, and gave a shy smile. "Hi."

"Bye," Rhuben replied getting up from her chair. Noah grabbed onto her arm, stopping her. "What?"

"You should give him a chance," Noah said in his quiet voice. "You know, make up with him before we go back. I'm sure you don't want to leave on bad terms." He looked into her blue eyes before smiling. "You know I'm right."

"A little help here," Logan cried as he tried to lift himself out of the pool. Stephanie and Camille got out of their chairs and rushed over to Logan. They grabbed onto his arms and pulled him out of the pool. Logan sighed and turned to Camille. "Well, this wasn't part of your plan was it?"

"No, I don't remember having a pool somewhere in it," Camille replied with a grimace. Logan sopped his way over to the table as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Aw, my phone," he groaned, seeing a line of water dribbling out of it. Rhuben raised her eyebrows at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Um, I mean, these are for you." He shoved the water soaked flowers into her hands. "Sorry that they're wet. But there are some roses. Your favorite."

"Thanks," Rhuben replied looking them over.

"Ok, I know you're looking for an apology and everything and I _am _sorry," Logan gave her a pleading look. "I'm sorry for anything that I said that hurt your feelings. The topic of your past is really bad and I know I hurt you by throwing it back in your face. You've gotta believe me when I say I didn't mean it. I'm so so sorry and if you hate me for the rest of my life, I'll understand, but you're my best friend and I just wanted you to know how bad I feel about it and I hate that you're not talking to me. And…that's it."

Logan let out a deep breath as he looked back at Rhuben. She had her face void of any emotions so it was hard for him to gauge how she was taking in everything he had to say. He bit his bottom lip as he waited for what she had to say. '_Please, please, please accept my apology_' he thought letting out a breath of air.

"I hate it when you look at me like that.," Logan said quietly. "I never want you to look at me like that ever again. Like you lost faith in me." He grabbed a handful of his shirt and wrung out the water as an idea came to him. He looked Rhuben dead in the eye and sucked in a breath of air.

"Here I am, there you are, why does it seem so far? Next to you is where I should be," he sang. "Something I felt so bad, know what's inside your head. Maybe I can see what you see."

"Oh, this is so sweet," Camille whimpered, clutching onto Stephanie's arm. Noah and Sydney exchanged glances and started singing the background lyrics and harmonies for their friend.

"I gotta keep on believing that everything takes time," Logan continued as he dropped onto his knees, grabbing Rhuben's hands. He smiled when she didn't pull them away. "I'll make u"p any reason, to make you mine. If you're staying or leaving, I'll follow your lead. SO why keep pretending, I can be what you need."

"Any kind of guy you want girl, that's the guy I'll be. Turn myself upside down."

"Yes, I will. Yes, I will."

"Any kind of guy you want girl, you know I'll agree. Turn your whole world around."

"Yes, I will. Yes, I will."

"Any kind, any kind, any kind of guy you want. You decide change your mind, I will be there. Won't you try, one more try, be my any kind of girl. You decide, it's alright. I will be there."

Logan opened his mouth to sing the next verse but Rhuben moved her hand to cover his mouth, stopping him. Logan looked up at her with his brown eyes. She had a smile on her face. "This is really sweet, Logie,' she said as she removed her hand. "I forgive you."

"Great," Logan smiled as he got to his feet, pulling her to hers. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "I love you, Bells."

"I love you, too," Rhuben said into his ear. Logan gently pulled back.

"No…I mean, I'm in love with you," he replied quietly. "I have been for a while. It just took me a while to realize it."

"You do know I'm leaving soon," Rhuben replied, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, I know, which is why I had to tell you," Logan nodded. "I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I never told you before you left. Or know that we were going to end things on bad terms. And, if you are, I'm willing to make the long distance thing work."

Rhuben smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Me too."

Logan returned her smile before cupping her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss…

* * *

**A/N: Sorry guys. I meant there's only going to be five chapters left. Well, four now that this one is finished. So this story is going to end with 25 chapters. I'm leaning more towards not writing a sequel because I don't think it'll be as good as this one. Plus, it's harder for me to write a sequel to an already well received story. But, I will be re-posting my other story **_**Big Time Rush of Adrenaline**_** once this story is over. So be sure to check that one out too.**

**-Rhuben**


	22. Chapter 22: Big Time Bad News

**22: **_Big Time Bad News_

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* * *

_

"Alright, so we all know that Gustavo has a rule against throwing parties here at the Palm Woods," Katie announced pacing back and forth in front of her group of friends. She had two large white boards behind her. She grabbed the hockey stick that was lying next to her and jabbed it a point on the board. "So, the overall plan here is to try and keep him in his office all night without figuring out that there is a party."

"Easier said than done," Patrick pointed out. "Bitters is like a hawk. A hawk with food. He'll eventually find out about it."

"I still don't see why we can't just have the party and be caught," Rhuben said with a somewhat annoyed look on her face. "This is the fifth plan we've thought of and I can still find a loophole in it."

"Because this is more fun," Katie replied stomping her foot on the ground. "Come on guys, we'll think of something.

Big Time Rush, the Jacksons, Katie, Stephanie, and Camille were all cramped on chairs, couches, and floors of apartment 2J trying to find a good place for the party without Bitters finding out.

"You guys really don't have to make this a big deal," Riley added. "Not that we're not happy about it."

"Yes we do, cause I already had to give mom a lot of money to buy chips and sodies and stuff," Kendall replied his hand over his eyes.

"Sodies?" Riley raised her eyebrows, lightly hitting his knee. "Really? What, are you 5?"

"Guys, we have to get going," Noah said getting to his feet, tugging down his shirt. "We have to go and help Ronan clean out his office."

"Bye," Sydney gave a cheerful smile and wave before they all left the apartment. Katie followed after them, making sure they were gone.

"Ok, time for the real plan," Katie said as she closed the door behind her. She walked back over to the whiteboards and flipped it over, revealing another party. "Beach Party; Kendall, I need you to go out and buy tiki torches."

"You got it," Kendall gave his sister a thumbs up before heading out of the apartment.

"Stephanie and Camille, I need streamers and those Hawaiian Lei things," Katie turned to the two girls smiling.

"I think I have some left over from a Hawaii themed movie I filmed," Stephanie replied as she and Camille got to their feet. She offered her hand to Carlos. He glanced at it before slapping Stephanie a high five. "No, Carlos, come with me."

"Why?" Carlos asked, widening his eyes.

"Actually that's a good idea, you might mess something up," Katie replied. "Keep an eye on him." Carlos sighed and got to his feet following the two girls.

"Why are we doing a beach party again?" James asked raising his eyebrows.

"Bella was telling me that back at home they went to a lot of beach parties on the weekends," Logan replied. "I think this is a good way to help remind them of their home before they go back."

"Well, that means I need to work more on my tan," James commented, looking at his arms.

"James, I need you to help me set everything up," Katie said putting a hand on her hip. Seeing his pout, she rolled her eyes. "We'll be outside, you'll get all of the sun you need."

"It's better than using the Mangerine Tanning Spray," Logan commented dryly. "What am I doing?"

"You're going to put these boards back without getting caught," Katie replied as she wiped a cloth over the whiteboards. "_And _it's your job to get the Jacksons out to the beach."

"Hm, how am I going to do that?" Logan asked scratching the back of his head.

"Dude, Rhuben's your girlfriend, that should be easy to do," James commented, getting to his feet. Logan gave him a look as if he was crazy.

"You've never seen her stubborn," he commented. "It's pretty hard to get her to do something when she really doesn't want to do it. Besides, she's under the impression that the party is at the Palm Woods."

"Good luck with that," James clapped him on the shoulder, and headed out of the apartment with Katie. Logan sighed as he warily eyed the whiteboards, trying to figure out how he would get them downstairs without being caught.

"I need to get new friends."

* * *

"Mmm, your hair smells like strawberries, my favorite," Kendall smiled as he gave Riley a hug, wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey, Kendall," Riley laughed as Kendall kissed her on the cheek. She and her brothers and sister were still in Ronan's office, cleaning up his stuff. They had half of one bookshelf cleaned off, but they had two more to do.

They had to take out binders and look through the papers, throwing out all the old ones that he didn't need any more and putting the binders in boxes. They also had to take books and put them in boxes. There were also pictures, posters, plants, and little stuff like pencil sharpeners they had to move.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm going to get used to that," Rhuben commented, making a mock look of disgust. Then a wide smile came to her face.

"Thinking of Logan?" Riley asked raising her eyebrows. A look of amusement came to her face when Rhuben let out a very un-Rhuben-like giggle.

"Whoever thought we'd get together," she said to herself.

"I did," Riley snorted. "It was so obvious he liked you. Even when we were younger. You were just too stupid to notice it."

"No, I was too busy helping you protect our brothers, and you know dad, he hated Logan," Rhuben said with a sigh. 'And now we have to leave you guys."

"So, how's this all coming?" Kendall asked motioning around to everything. He wanted to change the subject. He knew they hated talking about their dad.

"It would go better if Ronan never kept any toys in here," Rhuben replied holding up a Slinkie and a Rubix Cube. "Every time we find one, the boys get diverted and start playing a game."

"Right now, they're out in the hallway trying to fling plastic spoons into cups," Riley commented dryly.

"Yeah I saw," Kendall laughed. "I got hit in the face with one."

"What are you doing here?" Rhuben asked, brushing her hair from her face.

"Just seeing how you guys were doing," Kendall replied, shrugging. Rhuben smirked at him, piercing him with her blue eyes.

"No, you want to see if Riley can take a break and hang out with you," Rhuben replied with a sly smile. "And by 'hang out' I'm probably right in guessing finding a secluded spot and making out." Kendall blushed and threw a weak 'Shut up' at her. "Go ahead, I've got this covered."

"Thanks," Riley hopped off the desk and went to follow Kendall out the door, but Rhuben quickly stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"We're going to have to tell them," she said quietly, making sure Kendall wasn't listening. She looked out the door and made a face when she saw that he had joined Patrick, Noah, and Sydney's game. "Sooner rather than later."

"I know, but not today," Riley in a low voice. "I think after the party would be a better idea. I mean, they're all going through the trouble doing it for us. I don't think it's fair to…get their mood down before hand."

"Yeah, I guess," Rhuben replied letting go of her sister. "Later."

"See ya," Riley gave her the peace sign before heading out of Ronan's office. She grabbed onto Kendall's arm, pulling him to his feet. "Come on, let's go."

"But, I'm winning," Kendall whined, messing with the plastic spoon in his hand.

"Guys, Rhuben still needs help," Riley pointed out to her brothers. "Go play some music while you clean, it'll make time go by faster."

"Ok," Sydney huffed getting to his feet. "But, you said we could have a five minute break."

"Yeah, you did say," Patrick agreed. Noah silently looked at his watch.

"Yeah, that was fifteen minutes ago," he commented before giving Riley a smile. "We're going, we're going." He grabbed onto his twin's shoulders, spun him around, and pushed him back into the room. Sydney dropped back to the floor and continued playing his game.

"Hey," he wailed in protest as Noah walked back over to him, lifting him up into the air and throwing him over his shoulder.

"Man, I'm going to miss you guys once you leave," Kendall stated as he looped his arm around Riley's waist. "Gustavo says he's planning on setting up a concert for us."

"We could always come back and visit for that," Riley pointed out. Then an annoyed look crossed her face. "Of course, you need to take in consideration it might be on a school night."

"So you _are _going to a public school?" Kendall asked with a smirk. "Wouldn't it be weird not doing this every day?" He waved his arm at the studio they passed. "Doing music? Hanging out?"

"School's important too," Riley replied with a grimace. "Yeah, I'll miss it. But, I really do need a break. And it's not like we can't still write or play anything. God knows, as soon as our fans find out we're back in Australia, all of them will want us to play at festivals and stuff."

Kendall suddenly stopped walking and bent his head, kissing her. Riley smiled and kissed him back, lightly resting her hand on his arm. Kendall gave her a small smile as he pulled back. "What was that for?" Riley asked quietly.

"I'm _really _going to miss doing that," he said with a mischievous smile.

"Well, you don't have to right now," Riley said with a smirk. Kendall chuckled before kissing her again.

* * *

"Guys, we have something to tell you," Rhuben said over her shoulder. "Patrick, if you don't stop moving!"

The Jacksons were in their apartment, getting ready for their party. Ronan was going to join them later as he was in his room taking well deserved nap as he has been working really hard. Rhuben was standing behind Patrick in front of a mirror. She was trying to help him with his tie, but him constantly moving, trying to do his hair at the same time wasn't really helping.

"James said-"

"I don't care what James said," Rhuben snapped, giving him a small glare in the mirror. He flinched ,dropping his gaze to the floor.

"R and R," Patrick muttered quietly. Rhuben let out a harsh sigh before slowly calming down. "Remember? Rephrase and Redirect."

"Sorry, but your spikes are getting in my line of vision," she stated peering over his shoulder. "Not to mention, if your spikes are _this _crusty, you're putting in too much gel. Although, I'm sure James said something about that."

"Yep," Patrick smiled and nodded.

"What do you have to tell us?" Sydney asked, pulling his t-shirt on over his head.

He took a running start and jumped onto the couch where Noah was already dressed and patiently waiting. Rhuben locked eyes with Riley in the mirror. Riley gave her a short nod. Rhuben quickly finished tying Patrick's tie and ushered him over to the couch. Riley and Rhuben sat down on the coffee table, facing them.

"What's wrong?" Noah asked, seeing the looks on his sister's faces.

"Um, Ronan told us something when we met him at his office to help him clean," Riley replied slowly. "Don't get mad that we didn't tell you before, we thought it was better that you didn't know. Not until now at least." She let out a heavy sigh, scratching her forehead so Rhuben took over.

"Um, we're going to have to leave earlier than we want to," Rhuben replied. Patrick, Noah, and Sydney looked like they wanted to protest, but Rhuben put up her hand, silencing them. "We're going to have to leave on Friday. Ronan's found a job he might take."

"And?" Patrick and Noah asked in unison.

"It's stationed in Sydney, Australia, our hometown," Riley continued. "We might not come back to LA."

"Ever?" Sydney squeaked out. He had his hands over his mouth to stop himself from crying. Rhuben could see his eyes welling with tears. "But, I like it here."

'Like we don't?" Patrick asked. "Wh-How?"

"He's our legal guardian, so wherever he goes, we go," Riley explained. "And he's our manager. He's been our manager ever since we started our band and moved here. I can't see us with anyone else."

"So _that's _why you guys have been acting weird today," Noah asked quietly. "Kendall came to see us. Does he know?"

"No, we haven't told anybody yet," Rhuben said shaking her head. "We just can't catch a break can we?"

"Well, it explains why Ronan has been so tired lately," Sydney commented. "He's been staying up late every day since daddy left."

"Well, we can't change our minds now," Noah sighed. "We all agreed we wanted to move. To get away from here for a while. Can't we have an easy life for once?"

"Doesn't look that way, kid," Rhuben reached forward and ran her fingers through his hair, affectionately, caressing the nape of his neck. Noah closed his eyes at the touch of affection. They all jumped when they heard a knock at the door. "That must be Logan. Come on."

"You expect us to go to the party and be all happy?" Sydney gave his siblings a skeptical look as they got to their feet.

"Exactly," Riley said with a grim smile. Sydney matched it with a small one.

"Hey, Logan," Rhuben greeted her best friend as she opened the front door. He smiled and leaned forward, giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Hey guys," he smiled and took a few steps into the apartment. "You ready to go?" He paused and looked at all of them. His eyes landed on Riley. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, let's go," Riley replied forcing a smile to her face.

"Hey, Kendall, can I talk to you for a minute?" Logan asked quietly as he and his friend got a cup of soda.

Their party was going well. The Jacksons were surprised that everybody arranged for them to have party on the beach. They were extremely happy when they saw that Mrs. Knight had made a cake for them (chocolate just like Sydney requested) and gave them all matching bracelets.

They were currently on the dance floor, dancing in a giant group with their friends. True to his word, Ronan joined the party later. Everyone noticed that he looked tired, but he waved off their comments, smiling and having a good time. He was the party's chaperone, along with Mrs. Knight. For music they had Mrs. Knight drive her car up onto the beach and play CDs from the car stereo, music turned up high, car doors open.

"What's the matter?" Kendall asked, turning to his friend, taking a sip of his soda.

"Well, this may be imagination, but they seem kind of…off," Logan said quietly as he watched his friends. His eyes landed on Rhuben as she danced with Sydney, spinning him in a circle. He felt his lips twitch into a smile. He still couldn't believe that she was his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Kendall said just as quiet. "You know, how I went over to visit Riley as she cleaned Ronan's office?" Logan nodded. "They were all acting kind of weird. It seemed like they were being…careful around me."

"As if they didn't want to slip something," Logan nodded. "Yeah, same with me when I went to pick them up. Sydney looked like he was crying, but they wouldn't tell me anything."

"Yeah, I asked Riles what was bothering her but she wouldn't tell me," Kendall muttered. "Maybe they're just sad about leaving?"

"No, it's something bigger than that," Logan replied, shaking his head. He went onexplaining, seeing the look on Kendall's face. "They all have this…_thing_ when they lie. Riley's left eye twitches, but you have to really know her to notice it, Rhuben taps her feet, Patrick and Noah just do this rambling thing…and Sydney hardly ever lies so I don't know about him."

"I hope it's nothing too bad," Kendall muttered. He set down his cup when a slow song came on. "Come on."

Logan followed Kendall over to his friends, his hands deep in his pockets. '_Something is really bothering them. But what? I hope its nothing to do with their dad_' he thought, his mouth a thin line. "Bells, wanna dance?"

"Actually, dance with Camille first," Rhuben replied, practically shoving Camille into his arms. "I want to do something first. Next dance, I promise."

"Unless you don't want to," Camille added, seeing the surprised look on Logan's face. Logan blinked before giving her a warm smile.

"Of course I do," Logan smiled before taking her hand and spinning her in a circle as Rhuben went over to James, offering him her hand. His smile got wider as he and Camille swayed on the spot.

"What was that about?" James asked as he placed one hand on Rhuben's hip, he took her free hand with his other one.

"Is it a crime o want to dance with you?" Rhuben asked with a smirk. '_I can't tell him yet. He'll see right through my lie._'

"Not at all," James said giving her his charming smile.

Patrick and Noah took turns dancing with Katie every time there was a slow song on, occasionally taking turns watching over Sydney who got tired of dancing after a while and started building a sandcastle. Pretty soon everybody was making one, having a silent contest seeing whose would be a better one. Everyone said that Rhuben had an unfair advantage because Logan could quickly do the math in his head to figure out what kind of sand castle they should make.

After more dancing and music, and some games played on the beach, everybody crowded around the Jacksons as they opened gifts. They were surprised to get going away presents from their friends, and even more surprised when Kelly and Gustavo stopped by to give them a few gifts. Gustavo was actually enjoying himself (much to the Jacksons annoyance he was still really loud to which Patrick commented with "He has to have an off switch somewhere" and for Noah to say, "When we leave his yelling is one thing that I definitely _won't _miss.")

But everyone at the party could tell that there was something bothering the Jacksons, even Ronan. Anytime someone asked him a question about the Jacksons or moving to Australia he would down a cup of soda and quickly change the subject. But when asked, he was happy to know that Riley and Rhuben had found great guys like Kendall and Logan to have a relationship with and he was genuinely happy for them, feeling like their lives were finally moving forward.

As the party died down and everyone started cleaning up (except for Sydney who was asleep in the back of Mrs. Knight's car) Logan pulled Rhuben aside, taking her hand as they slowly made their way down the beach, enjoying each other's company.

"So, um, I got this for you," Logan said quietly, pulling his hand out of his pocket. A small black box was sitting in his hand. "I'll understand if you don't like it, I can return it and get a new one."

Rhuben opened the box and smiled down at the necklace that stared back at her. There was a purple gem sitting on the face of a silver locket. She popped it open and laughed when she saw a picture of her, Logan, and Riley from when they were younger. They were all sitting against the tree in Logan's backyard, back in Texas, wide smiles on their faces, their arms wrapped around each other as they, somehow, had a three way hug.

"I love it, really, I do," Rhuben smiled as she took the locket out of the box.

Logan smiled as he slid the box back into his pocket. He took the necklace from her and motioned for her to lift her hair off her shoulders. Smiling, Rhuben did so. Logan fastened the clasp on the back of the necklace before turning Rhuben around, kissing her.

"I'm glad you like it," Logan smiled at her. "But, that's not the only reason why I brought you over here." He peered at her before asking his next question, "What's bothering you?"

"Sometimes it scares me at how well you can tell when something is bothering me," Rhuben replied quietly. Logan quietly waited for her to tell him. "We might not be coming back here, to the US."

"What do you mean?" Logan asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Ronan has found a job out in Australia, and we might have to stay there, for like, ever,' Rhuben replied slowly, gauging Logan's reaction.

"Are you sure?" Logan asked, his voice cracking. "When'd you find out?"

"Earlier today," Rhuben replied. Logan made a noise of shock, rubbing his forehead. "We would've told you sooner, but-"

"With the whole party, you couldn't find a good time," Logan said with a nod. Rhuben agreed with a soft 'yeah'. "Well, that sucks. Do any of them know?"

Rhuben glanced over his shoulder and back towards where they left their friends. She couldn't hear anything from how far off they were, but she could tell they weren't acting as happy as before. "I think Riley just told them," she replied looking up at him. It didn't surprise her that her vision started to blur b by the tears that were welling in her eyes. "Everything started to get better."

"I know," Logan placed a kiss to her forehead before pulling her to him, allowing her to cry into his chest. He felt like crying too.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter will be up tomorrow. I have definitely decided that I'm _not_ going to be writing a sequel to this story. Three chapters left. I'll be putting up my other BTR story, _Big Time Rush of Adrenaline _once I'm done with this story**. _**Big Time Rush of Adrenaline**_ **will have a sequel to it though.**

**-Rhuben**


	23. Chapter 23: Big Time Move Pt 1

**23: **_Big Time Move Part 1_

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* * *

_

"Five little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head, the mother called the doctor and the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed," Sydney recited as he jumped up and down on the couch in Ronan's apartment. He could feel his pants sliding down and quickly pulled them back up. He ws nearly thrown off the couch when Carlos jumped on, singing along with him.

"Four little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off, and bumped his head, the mother called the-whoa!" Carlos shouted. Kendall walked up behind him and smacked him in the back with his pillow, causing him to fall off the couch and onto the floor.

"You see, _that's_ why parents don't let you jump on the bed," he said to his friend, laughing. "It's really a good thing you wear that helmet."

The Jacksons were up in their apartment, packing up their stuff. They've been packing ever since they got up that morning (which was at 5:00 in the morning because Riley has always been a light an early riser). Around 12 in the afternoon, their friends came in to help them. Surprisingly, Gustavo gave Big Time Rush the day off.

At first the apartment was filled with silence as no one could believe that the Jacksons might not be coming back to the US. No one wanted to say anything, just in case they brought it up. Sydney had already been trying to hide his tears ever since he found out. But every once in a while he would let them go and Patrick or Noah would be there to comfort him.

"You guys are supposed to be packing not playing," Riley commented from the kitchen. She was pulling pots and pans out of the cupboards and was placing them in boxes. She then looked down at Rhuben and put her hands on her hips. RHuben grinned sheepishly as she stopped 'playing the drums' on the pots at her feet. She had two wooden spoons in her hands. "That goes for you, too."

"Sorry," Rhuben rolled her eyes, getting to her feet. "I;m tired of packing. Ronan should have known that we wouldn't do this all day. I mean, it's 2:30 in the afternoon and we've been stuck in our apartment all day."

"Well, Ronan _did _tell you guys this at the last minute," Logan piped up. "So, of course the packing would take you a while. But, you guys _are _the biggest bunch of procrastinators I've ever seen."

"Let's do something fun," Patrick whined as he mopped the kitchen floor. Noah had his feet on the wooden bar at the bottom, and leaned back on the stick, allowing Patrick to push him across the floor.

"Like what?" Camille asked brushing her hair out of her face. "It's too hot to go outside and Bitters has called 'Adult Swim' again."

"What do you guys say ,tonight we give Bitters a piece of our minds," Riley asked with a sly smile on her face. Kendall looked over at her and smiled.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

"If it has anything to do with Bitters' rules, then I'm in," Katie said with a smile as she stepped out of the bathroom. "Who's shampoo is this? It's Pantene."

"That's Patrick's," Sydney laughed. Patrick blushed as Katie tossed the bottle over to him. Patrick rested the handle of the mop against his chest and caught the shampoo, setting it down on the kitchen table.

"It makes my hair softer, _excuse me_," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Where do you want all of these CDs?" Stephanie asked as she carried a stack of CD cases out of Riley and Rhuben's room. "You guys have a great collection."

"Just…put them in any box," Riley replied looking around the room.

"Hey, you have the Annie soundtrack, I always wanted that," Logan smiled as he moved over to her, looking through the CDs. Everyone gave him a weird look. He blushed as he looked over at Rhuben. He then cleared his throat and puffed out his chest and said in a deep voice, "I mean, pshht, Annie. Who cares?"

"I see you still have your love for musicals," Riley commented dryly before laughing. "You can have it if you want."

"Yay," Logan cheered as he grabbed the CD. "I mean, thanks." Rhuben laughed as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, giving him a kisson the cheek.

"Man, I never realized how much stuff we had." Riley sighed heavily and reached up to open a cabinet door, jumping back as many different sixed balls fell out, onto the ground.

"Oh, I forgot we put those there," Noah commented jumping off the mop and onto the kitchen counter. He laughed when he saw the look on Riley's face. "Sorry, but Ronan said we couldn't play ball in the apartment. We kinda broke a lot of stuff. So, anytime we thought Ronan was coming home, we would shove them into that cabinet."

"So, it was _you _that broke the lamp in our room then," Rhuben said crossing her arms over her chest. Patrick gave her a sheepish smile in return. "Thanks again for helping out guys."

"It's no problem at all," James replied as he carried a large bag out of Ronan's room that he shared with Sydney. He dropped the bag and then looked over at Sydney. "You really like bananas don't you? Do you know how many banana peels I found in there?"

"You should've seen my room back in my old apartment," Sydney laughed, still jumping. "Patrick, Noah, and I were bored one time-"

"Just take into consideration that all stories with bad ideas start with that," Riley commented.

"Yeah, so we were bored and we just got the idea, I wonder what would happen if we threw banana peels at the ceiling. Would it stick?" Patrick asked, picking up the story. "I didn't think it would work, but Sydney fed us with some of this scientific mumbo jumbo."

"Turns out they can't stick, but it left this odd colored print on the ceiling," Noah laughed as he thought of the memory. "So, we had to do some rapid painting. So what we did was put saran wrap over everything in the room. And I mean everything."

"So then, they somehow roped us into helping them," Rhuben commented. "We got those long poled paint roller things and tried to repaint the ceiling. Not the best idea in the world."

"Somehow we got more paint on us than the ceiling and somehow Patrick got the bucket of paint stuck on his foot," Riley laughed. "Dad came home and we were panicking, trying to do everything we could to make sure he didn't find out. Luckily, he was too drunk to notice."

"Or to get mad at us," Sydney commented under his breath. An awkward silence fell over the group of friends as the Jacksons exchanged grim looks.

Kendall sighed as he sat down on the spot. HE hated it whenever someone brought up their dad because they always seemed to loose the happiness that surrounded them minutes before. And it always took them a while to become happy again as they always seemed to go off into their own world, tuning everything out. Kendall caught Katie's gaze and saw that she was feeling the same way.

"Hey, you guys," Katie walked over to the dropped balls and picked one up. "Let's play baseball."

"We don't have any space in here," Patrick pointed out. "Nor do we have a bat."

"Yes, but we have plenty of space in the Palm Woods lobby," she replied, throwing it up into the air, easily catching it as it came back down. "And we _do _have four of the best hockey players here. What better way to get on Bitters' nerves?"

"Guys, I don't think this is a good idea," Logan commented, a worried look on his face. "If we break something else, Bitters might tell Gustavo-"

"And we might have to get jobs again," Carlos said with a shutter. His eyes widened as he thought back to the time where he worked as Gustavo's assistant. "Foam was everywhere. Too much foam."

"Logie, relax, I doubt this is one of Bitters' crazy rules," Kendall clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Wanna bet?" Riley raised her eyebrows laughing. She snapped her fingers and nodded over at Patricl. He nodded back before heading into Riley and Rhuben's room. He came back seconds later with a rolled up sheet of paper and handed it over to Riley. "Thank you." She unrolled the paper and cleared her throat. "The official rules of the Palm Woods are, and I quote; no loud music, no ball playing, no pool parties, no loitering in the lobby after 9:00 pm, and most important, have a nice day."

"And the official rules of Kendall Knight; that's a load of B.S," Kendall shot back, rolling his eyes. "Guys, this is Bitters. We can easily outwit him. And I know a way to easily knock out two of these rules."

"Does it involve a car?" Riley asked, her eyes lighting up. 'Cause my idea involves a car."

"It does now," Kendall said with a smile. "Logan, I'll need your permit.'

"No, no way," Logan shook his head. "We are _not _going to steal a car."

"It's not stealing, it's borrowing," Riley replied.

"Without asking," Sydney pointed out. Logan nodded placing his hands on Sydney's shoulders, clearly agreeing with him. "Guys, we could get in trouble and Ronan wouldn't be happy."

'You know, I can now see how you and Kendall make a perfect match," James said tapping his chin, tilting his head to the side. "You're both bossy, the leader type, and have a devious mind."

"Come on, Syd, Ronan is a kid at heart, if he doesn't see how this is funny-"Patrick trailed off as he thought about how to finish his sentence.

"He will eventually," Noah supplied. "I mean, it'll only be hurting him if he grounds us." Patrick nodded a pleasant smile on his face.

"I don't know about this, guys," Stephanie commented, a worried look on her face. 'If my dad finds out, I could get into a lot of trouble."

"Relax, when have we ever steered you guys wrong?" Carlos asked, putting his arm around her.

"Do you really want us to answer that question?" Rhuben asked, picking up a notepad and pen from by the phone.

"No."

"Just checking."

"Guys, this is the last chance we have at getting Bitters back for trying to get us in trouble all of this time," Riley stated. "And if Kendall and I come up with the plan, it's got to be fool proof. Well, not exactly, but it _will _be fun." She then paused. "As long as I have enough time to get dinner on the table by around 8:30, which gives us ample time to get this plan going. Camille, we're going to need your acting."

"No problem," Camille smiled giving them a thumbs up.

"And Stephanie, feel free to video tape this," Riley added with a smile.

"You got it," she smiled and rubbed her hands together. "I feel like I'm really starting to become a member of this group."

"Alright guys," Kendall smiled as he took charge. "It's go time." He put out his hand, expecting his friends to put theirs on top of his. "Really? It's never a good time to do the whole 'go team' thing is it?"

"No.'

* * *

Bitters was sitting quietly in his office, looking up girl's profiles on the computer, hoping to get a date. He had a container of chilli cheese fries sitting next to him. Humming to himself, he surfed the internet. He suddenly stopped, feeling as if something was wrong. Something wasn't right.

His gaze traveled across his office to a large poster of Big Time Rush and the DarkElements on the wall. There were various darts stuck in the poster as the glossy faces of the band members smiled back at him. The words: Number One Target was printed above the poster. He was sure something was going on and they were behind it.

He could hear muffled laughs and voices talking outside. He glanced over at his clock and saw that it was 9:00 at night. Why were people still in the lobby at night at night? It was against oen of his many rules. Smiling devilishly he grabbed his carton of chilli cheese fries and walked up to the door, pressing his ear against it.

He could hear various words like "oh my god", "car", and "plan". He could also hear the low pulsing beat of music. Smiling triumphantly, he backed up from the door, smoothing down his tie. "Aha!" he shouted, as he burst out of his office. There were indeed kids sitting around in the lobby, talking to each other. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Talking," Katie replied turning to look at him. She turned back to Patrick and Noah and spun her finger in the air by her head, making the crazy sign.

"You know the rules, no loitering in the lobby after 9:00," Bitters snapped.

"Well, the way I see it, as of tomorrow we don't live here anymore so I don't think the rules apply to us," Patrick replied calmly, crossing his arms behind his head, propping his feet up on the table. Noah nodded in agreement.

"You better go back up to your rooms right now," Bitters commanded, pointing towards the elevators.

"Whoa, what are you going to do?" Noah asked, laughing, as he got to his feet. "Ban me from the soda machine? Take away my pool privileges?"

"Oh, he can't do that," Patrick grinned as he stood up next to his brother. "Because there aren't any." The two of them exchanged glances as they pointed in Bitters' face, laughing out loud.

"That's it! You're breaking the rules right now because you're in the lobby after 9:00, I'm banning you from the lobby," Bitters snapped. "Get out."

"Can he do that?" Katie asked, jerking his thumb in Bitters' direction. Bitters crossed his arms over his chest.

"I just did," he said with a sinister smile. "Bye." Patrick and Noah on the other hand looked unfazed, they still had pleasant smiles on their faces.

"Well I am shocked and dismayed," Patrick commented, clasping his hands together. He started rocking back and his heels. Noah tapped him on the shoulder.

"No, you can't be both," he commented. "You be shocked and I'll be Dismayed." He then turned to Bitters', his smile fading slightly. "We're leaving. Katie, walk behind me!"

"I'm staying," Katie raised her eyebrows. She had an annoyed look on her face as she hated being talked to like that. Of course, Bitters didn't know that this was all part of the plan.

"You hear that, Shocked?" Noah asked, widening his eyes. "She's staying."

"I heard that, Dismayed," Patrick shook his head before walking over to Bitters, getting in his face. "You'll be sorry, Home wrecker." Patrick and Noah then put their noses in the air and walked out to the pool deck.

"Uh oh," Katie commented, shaking her head.

'Uh oh, what?" Bitters asked slowly. Katie got to her feet turning around to face him, arms crossed over her chest.

"Trust me, you do _not _want to make them upset," Katie replied. "They have Riley and Rhuben for sisters; the master pranksters in the _entire _world. I'd keep your eyes open."

"Oh please," Bitters rolled his eyes. "I'm not scared of them." Katie snickered, hearing the little waver in his voice.

"You should be," she said quietly as if threatening him. Bitters rolled his eyes and headed back into his office. She followed him. "They're maniacs!"

Bitters slammed the door in her face. Katie spun on her heel, a smirk on her face. She gave a thumbs up in the corner of the room. Stephanei popped up from behind one of the chairs, giving a thumbs up back, her video camera held up to her eye.

* * *

Bitters jumped when suddenly, loud blasting music pulsated through his office. Everything started shaking to the beat of the song that was playing. He couldn't make out the words but he knew something was going down. It was 9:30! No one should be in the lobby!

Growling in annoyance, he got to his feet and headed out of his office getting ready to yell at somebody. He stopped short when loud music blasted him in the face. He choked on his spit, gasping for air when he saw a car sitting in the Palm Woods lobby.

He gaped at it before sucking in a deep breath and letting out a loud scream, dropping his Chilli Cheese Fries onto his shirt and pants, leaving a large orange-ish stain. Kendall and Riley, who were sitting in the car, laughed as they slapped each other a high five. Kendall saw that Bitters was trying to say something and turned down the volume of the radio.

"I'm sorry, what'd you say?" Kendall asked as he and Riley rolled down their windows. Bitters opened and closed his mouth, pointing at the car. "Oh, is this what you're upset about?"

"Oh my gosh," Camille gasped her hands flying to her mouth as she rushed into the Palm Woods lobby. "You guys! How'd you get a car in here?"

"A car?" Riley gave a confused look. "Is that what we're sitting in?"

"Hey, isn't this a violation of Palm Woods rules?" Camille asked, running her hand over the back of the car. She tried as hard as she could to not laugh at the look on Bitters's face. "We should report him to the authorities."

"But, he _is _the authorities," Kendall pointed out. Kendall, Riley, and Camille exchanged glances before looking over at Bitters.

"THERE'S A CAR IN THE PALM WOODS LOBBY," they shouted at him and burst out laughing. Bitters continued to gape at them.

"Oh, come on Bitters, I have some advice for you," Riley got out of the car, putting her hand on Bitters' shoulder. "Relax and take a nice drive….into your office!" Kendall and Camille burst out into loud laughter. "Oh. But before you get too relaxed. I think there's a pool party going on outside."

Bitters made a noise of shock before running out onto the Palm Woods pool deck.

"I've just only thought of one flaw in our plan," Riley stated as she watched Bitters.

"What's that?" Kendall asked, his laughter dying down.

"How do we get the car out of here?" she asked. Kendall's laughter subsided automatically. He had a thoughtful look on his face. Camille chuckled, turning to look at them.

"How'd you get it in here in the first place?" she asked.

"You don't want to know," Riley muttered as Stephanie got up from her hiding place, following Bitters outside. Sure enough, the lights were low and there were many people dancing around the pool. Logan and Rhuben were laying on a pool floatie sipping smoothies. As soon as they spotted Gustavo they waved at him.

"Come join the party," Logan called.

"Just float your stress away," Rhuben added with a grin.

"Yes sir, the Hollywood Party King of Hollywood does it again," James laughed as he walked over to Gustavo, adjusting the large crown on his head.

"This is against Palm Woods rules," Bitters shouted, pointing at everybody. James laughed at him.

"Bitters, just chill," he said looping his arm around his shoulders. Bitters immediately pushed it off him. James put two fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle.

Carlos, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney slid up to them, wearing dark suits, and black sunglasses. To put tit simply, they were dressed as if they were the Men in Black. "You called?" Carlos asked, placing his arms behind his back.

"I can see why," Sydney made a face. "Sir, you have a large stain. We need to help you with that right away. You're in violation of the dress code."

"What's the dress code you may ask?" Patrick added.

"Swim wear," Noah replied pushing Bitters back into the Palm Woods. They pushed Bitters back into his office and somehow manipulated him into taking off his suit coat and pants, leaving him in a white t-shirt and green and white striped underwear. "We'll get these back to you as soon as possible."

The three of them rushed off towards the laundry room, slamming the door shut behind them. Carlos laughed as he took off his sunglasses.

"Are we actually going to wash this stuff?" he asked as Sydney climbed up onto a stool, opening the washing machine. "Do you guys know _how _to wash clothes?"

"Normally Riley does it for us," Sydney replied as he grabbed the box of laundry detergent. He frowned when he saw that it wasn't open. "How hard can this be?" He tried to open the box, but the lid was stuck tight. "COME ON!" He slammed the box down on the side of the washing machine, and the small silver tab on the bottom opened and laundry detergent started dumping into the washing machine. "Oh, it was upside down."

He threw the box to the floor, closed the lid and turned on the washing machine. It immediately hummed to life, shaking.

"I think we should stay in here just in case," Noah commented. "But, I don't think we're supposed to put darks and lights in the washing machine together."

"No, that's only reds and whites," Patrick contradicted him. "Watch, it's ok." He moved forward to pull open the lid.

"No, don't!" Carlos shouted. Patrick ignored him and opened the washing machine, sending bubbles to shoot out, starting to fill up the room. Carlos let out a high pitched scream. "Too many bubbles!"

"Uh oh," Sydney whispered as the bubbles started to get higher and higher. It started to get higher then him. Soon, he was completely covered. "Hey! I can't see."

'Where are you?" Carlos asked, looking around. Sydney's small hand popped up to his right. Carlos grabbed it and started to pull the small boy to the door. Patrick pulled it open and the froud of them stumbled out. "It's just like the coffee machine."

"What do we do?" Patrick asked, his voice high with worry. "Oh, we're going to get in so much trouble."

* * *

"Ok, everybody ready?" Kendall asked, his hands gripping his hockey stick. He, Carlos, Logan, and James all had their hockey sticks in their hands. Riley had a mop, Rhuben had a broom, and Patrick, Noah, and Sydney all had golf clubs.

Camille, Katie, and Stephanie stood by, mouths agape as the mountain of bubbles continued to slide out of the laundry room door and into the lobby of the Palm Woods. Stephanie still had the camera up to her eye, recording everything.

"Ready," Riley replied with a nod as she and her brothers and sister slid goggles down over their eyes. "Let's go."

Screaming, all nine friends ran forward, disappearing into the bubbles. The three girls winced when they heard clanging and bangs from where their friends attacked the washing machine. More and more bubbles came sliding out of the doorway.

"Do you guys see them?" Katie asked, peering into the white mass.

"No," Stephanie replied. "Should one of us go in and get them?"

"Rock paper, scissors you for it," Camille said turning to the youngest girl. Katie nodded and held up their fists. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" They both threw down paper. They did it again, both had rock. They continued to play rock, paper, scissors, to see who would have to go in and help their friends.

"What's going on here?"

The three girls turned and saw Mrs. Knight walk up to them, a look of shock on her face. The three girls' jaws dropped as they stared at Mrs. Knight.

"Please don't tell me Kendall has something to do with this," she said to Katie.

"Ok, I won't tell you," Katie replied with a sheepish smile. Mrs. Knight gave her a small glare before storming over to the laundry room. She disappeared into the white bubbles. One by one, the Jacksons and Big Time Rush was pulled out of the laundry room. Seconds later, the humming stopped. The bubbles burst apart as Mrs. Knight emerged, swinging her arms in a circle. "Do I really want to know what's going on here?"

"Not really," Kendall replied giving her a sheepish smile. His smile faded slightly when Bitters and Ronan marched up to them. "3rd strike?"

"I would give you a 3rd strike, but I'm hoping it will be quieter once this lot leaves," Bitters replied, turning his gaze to the Jacksons.

"Explain. _Now_," Ronan said tiredly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You see, we figured since this is the last night we have here at the Palm Woods, we would do something…fun," Riley quickly started to reply. "What better way than to play a small joke on Bitters right?"

"How is this a joke?" Ronan asked, looking around. "From what I've heard you had a car in here, and a party by the pool, a clear violation of the rules. _And _you were loitering after 9:00."

"Well, that's the funny part," Rhuben replied with a sheepish grin. "We moved his clock forward. It's not 9:00."

As Bitters, Mrs, Knight, and Ronan looked down at the kids, they gave sheepish smiles and laughed weakly.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter will be up later this evening. I hope you enjoyed this one.**

**-Rhuben**


	24. Chapter 24: Big Time Move Pt 2

**A/N: This is a shorter chapter**

**

* * *

**

**24: **_Big Time Move Part 2_

_

* * *

_

Well, today was finally the day. The day that the Jacksons moved back to Australia. After getting yelled at for a while for their prank, the Jacksons spent the rest of that night eating and packing, packing and eating. They didn't say anything because Ronan was somewhat mad at them (going as far as not allowing them to have dessert that night, much to Sydney's dismay) and they didn't want to do or say anything to make him even madder.

Their friends offered to help them continue packing, but Ronan said that it would go much faster without having anyone there to distract them. Riley made them spaghetti for dinner, hoping to cheer up his brothers, but even their favorite food didn't help matters much. They silently ate, the only sounds were the slurping of spaghetti noodles and forks on the plates. That night, all of the Jacksons slept in the living room, they had to get up early the next day.

Early the next morning they got up, ate a quick breakfast and packed everything into the car and the moving truck. Big Time Rush, Katie, Mrs. Knight, Camille, and Stephanie got up and helped them. None of them exchanged words then either. None of them wanted to say anything for they (in the girls and Jacksons case) were always on the verge of tears and Big Time Rush didn't want to say anything to push them over the edge.

They all got into their cars and drove to the airport. They all got their bags and went through security and bag checks, trying to be upbeat, but everybody could see through their emotions easily. Carlos was the first one to break the silence.

"Guys, we can't just be quiet the whole time we're here," he pointed out. "Let's think of something nice; like kittens."

"Leave it to Carlos to think about something like that," James said with a weak laugh.

"I don't know, it kind of helped," Logan replied, his arms wrapped around Rhuben. He rested his cheek on top of her head. "Hey, remember the time we found that stray kitten in my backyard?"

"The one that shredded your mom's aunt's antique quilt?" Riley asked with a small smile. "Yeah I remember that. We were trying to sneak him into your house and he went ballistic, scratching at everything and anything it could get its paws on."

"Which explains why you were afraid of Gustavo's cat," Kendall said with a smirk.

"I wasn't afraid," Logan shot back. "And it wasn't even a cat. I mean, it had no fur! It looked more like a naked mole rat!"

"Hey, do you guys remember how we met up?" Sydney asked suddenly. "It seems so long ago now."

"Yeah, you guys were playing this weird game and knocked Logan into the pool," James laughed.

"We were playing Alien," Patrick replied. He suddenly let out a loud gasp. "We never taught you how to play Alien!"

"Oh, you guys would've loved it," Noah groaned, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Hitting people with pillows sounds like _a lot _fun," Carlos stated, bouncing on his toes. He slapped his helmet twice. "How do you play?"

"Ok, I'll tell you, but I want to warn you that it's a _really_ good thing you're wearing that helmet," Sydney said looking over at him.

"Why do you guys always say that?" Carlos asked, giving him a confused look.

"Because most of the stuff we do could get you _really _hurt," Riley replied slowly. "Man, you wouldn't believe how much stupid stuff we did when we're bored."

"I think we've got a pretty good glimpse of it while you were here," Camille chuckled. "Oh, I'm going to miss you guys. Especially when we go shopping."

"Whoa, you two actually went shopping?" Logan asked giving Riley and Rhuben amused looks. "You have shopping."

"Yeah, Logan, you do realize that they're girls right?" Stephanie asked, as she dropped down into one of the chairs.

"That's one of the many things I love about you, believe me,' Logan said into RHuben's ear before kissing her on the cheek. She laughed and patted his arm. "I'm going to miss you so much. I mean, we just got back together after years, and now you're leaving again."

"Yeah, I know," Rhuben replied turning around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It sucks, but this way I can start over with a clean slate. And I can come and visit anytime I'm out of school on breaks."

"It won't be the same," Logan pouted. "I was so used to seeing you every day. Whoever thought that you'd fall for a math nerd."

"You're not a nerd," Rhuben replied. "Besides, you of all people should know that I always said that I wouldn't have a problem dating geeky people. Not that you are one."

"None taken," Logan replied before kissing her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rhuben smiled. "I'll email you every day or call. Whichever comes first."

"You have to take into consideration of the time difference," Sydney pointed out as he sat on Stephanie's lap, playing with her rings. "17 hours, remember?"

"Ugh, I forgot about that," Patrick commented, rubbing at his eyes. He, Noah, and Katie were trading alst minute tips for pranks. "Ok, remember, always keep a key card, gift card, credit card, or whatever on you to easily unlock doors."

"Got it," Katie smiled giving them a thumbs up.

Riley was sitting next to Kendall. She was leaning into his chest. He had his head resting on top of hers, and gently ran his fingers through his hair. They weren't saying anything, just enjoying each other's company for the last time.

"_Now board Oceanic flight 245 to Sydney, Australia. Those passengers with kids may board first_.'

"That's us," Riley sighed getting to her feet. Kendall grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her back down to him.

"Please don't go," he whispered. He gave a small pout, knowing that it would get to her. Riley gave a short smile before leaning forward and pressing her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

"Sorry," she apologized as she pulled back. "But, I have to. Fresh start, remember?"

"Yeah," Kendall smiled as the two of them got to their feet.

He pulled her to him in a hug, thinking about what they had gone through over the past few months. He really didn't want to let her go, but he knew that he had to eventually. From how hard Riley was squeezing her back, he could tell that she was thinking the same thing. They really were perfect for each other, always thinking the same thing that he was and coming up with plans together. He was really going to miss her. More than he could ever imagine.

"Riles, come on," Ronan called. He, Patrick, Noah, and Sydney already passed by the ticket check and was waiting to get on the plane. They never realized that everyone else had already hugged and said goodbye to their friends.

"Here," Kendall swallowed thickly as he handed Riley her carry one bag. "Have fun in Australia. But don't get into too much trouble."

"I could say the same to you," Riley smirked as Kendall brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

"I'm going to miss that smirk too," he said quietly. He opened his arms for one more hug, which Riley gave him, before going to join her siblings. "I love you, Riles."

"I love you, too," she replied, smiling at him over her shoulder. "Rhu, come on." She then turned to her brothers and her smirk got wider. "She is always the one that takes the longest."

"Tell me about it," Noah rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I heard that," Rhuben snapped as she handed the lady behind the counter her ticket. "That's not funny. Besides, I'm not the one that spends hours on my hair trying to make it perfect, _Patrick_!"

"What?" Patrick yelped as Ronan ushered them onto the plane. "I do _not_."

Big Time Rush, Katie, Camille, Stephanie and Mrs. Knight listened to them arguing as they got onto the plane. They stayed at the airport to watch their plane take off. But, it took them longer than that to leave the airport and go back to the Palm Woods.

* * *

**A/N: Final chapter will be up tomorrow. I'll also be posting _Big Time Rush of Adrenaline _tomorrow too.**

**-Rhuben  
**


	25. Chapter 25: Big Time Epilogue

**25: **_Big Time Epilogue_

The Jacksons had been gone for almost a year. Big Time Rush has released their first album and gone to New York, Florida, Texas, and Ohio to do a few shows to promote their CD. They performed at some festivals around the Los Angeles area. With the success of their album release, Gustavo commanded that the boys start to write their own songs to be even more relatable to their fans. Katie has been nothing but supportive to them.

Camille and Stephanie were having pretty good luck with what they were doing too. Camille got her first big break and had a small role in an adventure movie. She played the part of one of the girls that got pulled out of the way of a flying burning car. Even thought she had a short role, she was really proud of it and continued to go out to do some more auditions. Stephanie continued to film some more movies. One of them even made it into an amateur film festival that won first place prize.

Even with all of their success, it didn't stop them from getting into trouble with Bitters or Gustavo. Jordin Sparks came to the Palm Woods for a little while to record a song at Rocque Records. According to Gustavo, the "dogs" had a bunch of bad luck. They set out to prove him wrong and ended up being trapped in a well. Everything turned out well though because they were able to record the song as a duet. They even made a new friend in a girl named Jo.

True to their word, the Jacksons wrote and called Big Time Rush everyday to ask about how everything was going and to tell them how Australia was. At first the time difference messed up everything and they ended up calling really late at night or really early in the morning. But, they seemed to be happier, liking their new school (although they had to get used to being bombarded by fans while trying to do school work) and they found some time to write new songs. They explained that Ronan was happy with his new job and that they played some songs at a few festivals. But most of all, they missed everybody back in California.

Most of all, they missed all the trouble they got in, claiming it made their lives more interesting. Big Time Rush had to agree. As for right now, they were hiding behind the check in counter in the Palm Woods hiding from Bitters as they had just punched a hole in the wall up on the third floor where they were playing hockey.

"We're going to have to fix that hole somehow," James pointed out. "We can't hide here forever."

"Do you know how to fix a wall, _Carlos_?" Kendall asked, giving Carlos a pointed look.

'What are you looking at me for?" Carlos asked, his eyes widening. "I didn't do anything."

"Except punch the hole in the wall in anger after you missed the goal," James replied rolling his eyes.

"Let's not forget that his hand got stuck in said wall and he used his hockey stick to try and get it out, ergo making a bigger hole," Logan replied.

"Please tell me you've got a good plan up in your big brain,' Kendall said turning a pleading gaze over to his smart friend.

"Luckily, I can get internet access on my new IPhone," Logan said with a smug look pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Alright, we just go to Google, type in 'how do I repair a hole in the wall' and presto. We're off the hook."

His friends leaned in, trying to look at the tiny screen as Logan held the phone up to his face. He was on the internet when the icon for a new text message flashed onto his screen.

"You have a new message," James pointed out.

"I can see that," Logan snapped. "I wonder who it's from." Logan jabbed his finger into the screen opening the message, then he read it out loud. "Guess where we are?"

"Who's it from?" Kendall asked, a confused look on his face.

"It's from Rhuben," he replied. "Hold on, there's a picture attatched to it." He scrolled down and smiled as a picture of the Hollywood sign popped up on the screen. Large grins, spread across James, Carlos, and Kendall's faces.

"No way," James yelled as he grabbed the phone. "No. Way!"

"Give me the phone back!" Logan shouted, trying to get he phone back from hi friend.

'Kendall! Kendall!"

"That's Katie," Kendall replied as he got to his feet. His friends followed suit and saw Katie running up to them, a wide smile on her face. "What's up?"

"Kendall, they're back," Katie smile, shoving her phone into Kendall's face. Kendall looked at her phone and saw the same text message that Logan just got.

"They're back."

**THE END**

**A/N: I hope you guys liked this story. It was so much fun for me to write. Kind of hard to believe that I first started writing this back in January. It took me about 7 months, but I was able to complete it! Yay! The only thing I didn't like about this story was how I said in the beginning that I was going to keep Camille, Katie, Mrs, Knight, Gustavo, and Kelly as main characters, but I still didn't have them there al the time. That's why I'm writing **_**Big Time Rush of Adrenaline**_**. So, once I post that story I hope you'll read that one too. Like I said earlier, that story **_**will **_**have a sequel. Thanks for reading guys!**

**-Rhuben**


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